Every Election, Everywhere: IFES announces expansion of the ElectionGuide database

IFES is excited to announce the expansion of the ElectionGuide database, featured in version two of our API and corresponding Codebook. The database is the most comprehensive and timely source of global election information available online. It provides information about national-level elections in 240 countries and territories from 1998 to now, including for executive and legislative offices, snap elections, and referenda.  

 
Starting in 2023, ElectionGuide includes 93 unique datapoints for every direct, national-level election held worldwide, a 50% expansion of the datapoints included for elections in previous years. ElectionGuide continues to feature information about electoral systems and political institutions, political parties and candidates, voter registration, referendum provisions, voter turnout, and election results. Additionally, the database now includes: 

• Primary and alternate voting methods, including postal voting, out-of-country voting, early voting, and online voting;  
• Term lengths, limits, and candidate selection procedures;  
• Legal and procedural frameworks for campaign finance requirements;  
• Information on electoral rights for persons with disabilities;  
• Prohibitions on hate speech and disinformation;  
• Major election issues and concurrent global or regional events; and 
• Concurrent elections for other offices.  

Browse and download our Codebook V2  for the full definitions and availability of each data point. The codebook also outlines our inclusion criteria, snap election monitoring and forecasting procedures, data generation and verification processes, including update cadences, and details about our three data access options.  

ElectionGuide’s calendar and a subset of the data are available for non-commercial use for free at ElectionGuide.org. For a deeper look, please request a user account to view all available datapoints per election or API credentials, which provide access to the expanded database in an alternative format. To create a user portal or for new or updated API credentials, please request access using this form.   

Questions? Feel free to contact the ElectionGuide Team at electionguide@ifes.org.  

About ElectionGuide: 

ElectionGuide is a public database tracking national-level elections for every country in the world and many territories. It is an incomparable resource for academics, practitioners, and anyone interested in elections. The database includes elections from 1998 to the present and is available for free for non-commercial uses at ElectionGuide.org.