Americas
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) has been developing and implementing programs in the Americas region since its foundation, in 1987. Working together with government officials, electoral management bodies, and civil society organizations, our projects have achieved significant success in promoting transparency and accountability in electoral processes, as well as in increasing civic engagement and the inclusion of marginalized groups in political life. Through activities that range from the assessment of electoral operations procedures and technical assistance with tabulation of results to the organization of voter education campaigns, IFES is supporting sustainable improvements to democratic institutions throughout the Americas. It is also an important part of IFES’ mission in the region to support greater horizontal cooperation and peer-to-peer exchange among democratic institutions.
To learn more about our current projects in the region, please visit our country pages.
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Regional Director, Americas
Related Content
23 Jul 2011 | Multimedia
Manatt served as Chairman of IFES’ Board of Directors from 1993 to 1999 and was a distinct leader, with unwavering commitment to spreading democracy around the world and helping those who are less...
22 Jul 2011 | Multimedia
Washington Post Foreign Correspondent Pamela Constable and IFES President and CEO Bill Sweeney talk about Constable’s new book on Pakistan and where the country stands on its mission to be a Muslim...
14 Jul 2011 | Multimedia
Sparked by Tunisia’s recent uprising, waves of protest for democratic change have spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa.Please join the Transatlantic Policy Network and IFES for a...
8 Jul 2011 | News and Updates
On July 9, the Republic of South Sudan officially declares its independence from Sudan and becomes the world’s newest nation.
23 Jun 2011 | Multimedia
As Africa continues to move away from military and dictatorial rule, also known as “the strong man syndrome,” electoral competition in the various African countries will continue to present serious...
3 Jun 2011 | Multimedia
Lack of security is one of the most serious problems facing Latin America. Experts and pundits have assessed the issue and recommended many ways of improving safety in the region.
4 Apr 2011 | Multimedia
After a close and controversial first-round presidential vote in November, on March 20 Haiti held a runoff election for its top two presidential candidates, Mirlande Manigat and Michel Martelly. As...
4 Apr 2011 | Multimedia
On March 20, Haiti held the second round of presidential and legislative elections following the close and controversial first-round presidential vote in November. As part of its technical assistance...
31 Mar 2011 | Multimedia
On March 30, IFES released Duality by Design: The Iranian Electoral System, a comprehensive overview of elections in Iran. The author, an elections scholar, and an Iran expert participated on a panel...
29 Mar 2011 | News and Updates
Duality by Design: The Iranian Electoral System, the first comprehensive overview of Iran’s electoral framework, is now available from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES).
23 Mar 2011 | Multimedia
IFES’ third-annual Photography Contest drew nearly 500 entries from professional and amateur photographers from around the world. The democracy-themed competition showcases the many ways...
23 Mar 2011 | News and Updates
Twenty-two images of popular protests, elections, political campaigns and civic action have been named winners and finalists in the 2011 Photography Contest sponsored by the International...
2 Mar 2011 | Multimedia
Over the past 25 years, we have seen an increase in the number of countries holding elections. Going through the exercise, however, does not mean the will of the people is being reflected or that...
14 Feb 2011 | Publication
Throughout the past two decades, IFES has been dedicated to providing technical elections assistance throughout the world. During this time, it has become clear that an effective resolution of...
14 Feb 2011 | Publication
This paper deals with the role of money in politics, and in particular with certain efforts by countries around the world to regulate this role. In the current world (and probably since we first...
14 Feb 2011 | Publication
Analyzing and explaining why an election is democratic, or not, has fascinated scholars for decades. Methodologies, used to measure the freeness and fairness of the electoral process, are plentiful...
22 Dec 2010 | Publication
This study attempts to understand Ukraine’s failure to achieve consolidation after the Orange Revolution by analyzing substantive, socio-economic indicators that stalled democratization. This...
15 Dec 2010 | Publication
As the topic of electoral fraud has gained prominence in the media and the international discourse, IFES is releasing a series of three white papers introducing a groundbreaking framework for...
22 Nov 2010 | Multimedia
During every U.S. congressional and presidential election since 1992, IFES has held its U.S. Election Program. The three-day event brings together diplomats, parliamentarians and election officials...
22 Nov 2010 | News and Updates
On November 28, Haiti will have the first round of presidential and parliamentary elections. These polls will determine who will be the country’s next president before the current government’s...
29 Oct 2010 | News and Updates
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is hosting a two-day visitor’s program focusing on the U.S. elections. The program will bring together over 100 diplomats,...
12 Oct 2010 | Multimedia
Our annual staff-only photography competition profiles the many ways staff support the organization’s mission. Featured here are the winners and finalists of three contest categories under the...
4 Oct 2010 | Multimedia
Having a say in the way we are governed is a human right, yet for many around the world there are many obstacles to exercising this right. IFES is dedicated to helping societies transcend the...
29 Sep 2010 | Multimedia
On September 28, 2010, IFES presented the 2010 Manatt Democracy Awards to Rep. David Obey (D-WI), Lebanon’s Minister of the Interior and Municipalities Ziyad Baroud, and former USAID Administrator...
30 Aug 2010 | News and Updates
Representative David Obey (D-WI), former United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator M. Peter McPherson, and Lebanese Minister of Interior and Municipalities Ziad Baroud...
22 Aug 2010 | Multimedia
In August, the Instituto Federal Electoral (IFE), the Mexican elections commission, hosted a four-day conference to explore key electoral topics, including challenges in the administration and...
4 Aug 2010 | Multimedia
In this two-minute video, Bill Sweeney, IFES president and CEO, gives a quick overview of IFES and the work we do. He talks about our experts, how we partner with local election management bodies and...
9 Jun 2010 | Multimedia
On Sunday, August 29, 2010, IFES and the Faculty of Economics and Political Science (FEPS) at Cairo University hosted a workshop at the university featuring representatives of the National Council...
17 May 2010 | Multimedia
IFES staff spends many hours in service each year at the Capital Area Food Bank. Their efforts help address hunger in the Washington, D.C. community.
3 May 2010 | News and Updates
WASHINGTON—The International Foundation for Electoral System (IFES), the leading NGO in elections assistance, has unveiled a new, vastly improved and more user-friendly version of its website, www....
29 Apr 2010 | Publication
Due to the earthquake on January 12, 2010, elections for the members of the House of Representatives and one third of the Senate scheduled for February 28 and April 4, 2010, were canceled. As a...
29 Apr 2010 | Publication
During the months of March and April 2010, IFES conducted a technical assessment of Haiti’s capacity to hold elections. The Post-Disaster Assessment on the Feasibility of Organizing Free and fair...
16 Mar 2010 | Multimedia
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) conducted this second annual democracy-themed photography competition as a means to profile the many ways individuals can demonstrate a sense...
16 Mar 2010 | Multimedia
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) conducted this second annual democracy-themed photography competition as a means to profile the many ways individuals can demonstrate a sense...
4 Mar 2010 | Publication
At the request of Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) and with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), IFES is assisting the Commission in the...
1 Mar 2010 | News and Updates
Iraqi citizens living abroad will be able to vote for Iraq's Council of Representatives
29 Nov 2009 | News and Updates
WASHINGTON, D.C.—November 30, 2009— Wyatt A. Stewart, III, a renowned political and nonprofit management and fundraising consultant, is joining the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (...
20 Nov 2009 | Publication
Using public opinion data from 18 Latin American countries, as well as aggregate data on the institutional design of EMBs, this study examines how attitudes towards Election Management Bodies (...
18 Nov 2009 | News and Updates
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) has released Political Finance Regulation: The Global Experience, which offers insight into how the often-muddy intersection...
19 Aug 2009 | Multimedia
Dr. Abdel Monem Said Aly, Chairman of the Board of Al Ahram Foundation, spoke at IFES about the process of democratization in Egypt. Dr. Said, a prominent figure in Egyptian politics and media,...
15 Jun 2009 | News and Updates
Bill Sweeney, IFES' new president & CEO, sat down with Jamie Dettmer, IFES Director of Communications and Advocacy, and Laura Osio, IFES Press Officer, to talk about why he joined IFES.
1 Jun 2009 | News and Updates
La Fundación Internacional para Sistemas Electorales (IFES), organización no gubernamental y líder mundial en asistencia electoral, anunció hoy el nombramiento de su nuevo Presidente, el Sr. William...
31 May 2009 | Election Material
“Massive Registration Today” is a periodical article, available in Spanish, published in June 1990 by “El Comercio” newspaper in Ecuador. The article features the coverage of child elections...
26 May 2009 | News and Updates
On Saturday, May 23, 2009, six IFES staff members and some of their relatives spent the morning volunteering at Washington, DC's Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB).
20 Apr 2009 | Multimedia
The 2009 IFES photo competition winners and runners-up.
31 Mar 2009 | News and Updates
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) presented a one-time award to CNN's Bill Schneider for his extensive coverage and keen insight of the 2008 United States presidential...
11 Feb 2009 | Multimedia
IFES and the Carter Center hosted a groundbreaking two-day conference on international campaign finance observation.
21 Jan 2009 | Multimedia
IFES presents the report Implementation of the Electoral Reform 2007/2008 from an International Comparative Perspective to the IFE, Mexico's electoral institute, and national and international media.
21 Jan 2009 | Multimedia
Carlos Hinojosa, IFES-Americas Country Manager, participates in the OAS mission while in Ecuador to promote IFES' project for equitable participation of Afro-Ecuadorians in the political process.
20 Jan 2009 | News and Updates
In the past few months IFES has revamped and expanded its communications and advocacy efforts and added staff to its outreach department. In the fall Jamie Dettmer, an international journalist and...
18 Dec 2008 | Multimedia
Experts discuss effects of authoritarian regimes in democracy promotion