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IFES

Every Vote Counts:
The Role of Elections in Building Democracy

Edited by Richard W. Soudriette and Juliana Geran Pilon

Every Vote Counts starts from the premise that free and fair elections are the foundation upon which democracy is built. Given this fact, the study explores the role of foreign electoral assistance in helping to spread democracy around the globe during the past two decades. Among other issues, its authors examine 1) the challenges of organizing elections in two of the most demanding environments of recent years (Iraq and Afghanistan), 2) the effect of African popular opinion about the quality of elections on citizens’ trust in their political institutions, 3) how Ukrainians have chosen legal and electoral means to resolve disputes rather than open conflict, 4) Indonesians’ growing understanding of democracy, which has resulted in increased participation, and 5) electoral assistance as a critical component of American public diplomacy and efforts to reach out to the rest of the world.

Each chapter of Every Vote Counts documents the experiences of democracy professionals, who often use case studies to describe what worked—and what didn’t—on the ground, instead of relying on mere conjectures. Above all, these experts underscore the importance of providing democratic assistance long enough for local officials to acquire the expertise and confidence they need to manage elections on their own.

Editors

Richard W. Soudriette is President of IFES (established as the International Foundation for Election Systems in 1987). Prior to joining IFES in 1988, Mr. Soudriette served as Chief of Staff for U.S. Congressman James M. Inhofe (R-OK), Country Director of the U.S. Peace Corps in Paraguay and the Dominican Republic, and Chief of Staff for the mayor of Tulsa, OK.

Dr. Juliana Pilon is a Research Professor of Politics and Culture and Earheart Fellow at the Institute of World Politics. She has published several scholarly books, articles, and reviews, including Ironic Points of Light and Notes From the Other Side of Night.

Contributors

Michael Bratton is a professor of political science at Michigan State University. He has written extensively on a variety of issues relevant to Africa, particularly the importance of nongovernmental and voluntary organizations for development.

Peter Erben is a senior advisor with IFES and was deputy director of IFES' former Center for Transitional & Post Conflict Governance. He specializes in the management of electoral projects in emerging democracies.

Jeff Fischer currently manages a consulting practice specializing in assistance to post-conflict political processes. Mr. Fischer was the director of IFES' former Center for Transitional & Post-Conflict Governance and has held four internationally appointed posts in post-conflict transitions (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, East Timor, and Iraq).

Bohdan Futey, born in Ukraine, is a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C., and has been active in various rule of law and democratization programs in Ukraine since 1991.

Ben Goldsmith is an international election expert who has been engaged in elections in the U.K., Bosnia, Kosovo, Georgia, Iraq, and Afghanistan. He is currently a member of IFES' expert team in the Middle East & North Arica region.

Rafael López-Pintor is a professor of sociology and political science at the Universidad Autónoma in Madrid, Spain, and is an international political consultant to the United Nations, the European Union and International IDEA among other organizations. He is currently serving as IFES’ Chief of Party in Nicaragua.

Carina Perelli is a sociologist and political scientist from Uruguay with a background of political activism from growing up under military rule. She is also the former Director of the United Nations Electoral Assistance Division.

Henry Valentino is a political, media, public affairs, and elections consultant with over twenty-five years experience working in more than twenty countries.

Lech Walesa is the former president of Poland (1990–1995), a position he was elected to after leading the Solidarity labor union in its push for the democratization of Poland.

"Every Vote Counts carries an underlying message that democracy is attainable on every continent and can help make the world a more peaceful and humane place... Read this book, reflect on it, learn from it, and use it as you go forward to help return the power to determine a nation's future to its own people."
Lech Walesa, Former President of Poland (1990-1995)