Electoral Law
Clear legal frameworks are essential for the protection of fundamental suffrage rights, the design and implementation of effective electoral systems, and the efficient and transparent management of elections. Drawing on international law, best practices and comparative experience, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) works globally with local partners in the design and reform of electoral systems and the legal and regulatory frameworks that govern their implementation – ultimately promoting the effectiveness and credibility of democratic institutions and processes.
As a learning organization, IFES has an internal Knowledge Management Initiative Working Group on Electoral Integrity, Law and Anti-Corruption to help grow the research, tools and technical expertise we offer our partners worldwide.
Related Experts See All IFES Experts
Vice President, Global Strategy and Technical Leadership
Director, Center for Applied Research and Learning
Senior Global Advisor, Legal
Related Content
6 Aug 2021 | Publication
Under a Belarus rapid response program, IFES developed two papers on the legal frameworks for national elections and referendums.
30 Jul 2021 | Publication
With analytical support from Civic Movement Chesno, IFES researched financing's role in relation to gender during Ukraine's 2019 parliamentary elections.
13 Jul 2021 | News and Updates
Is electoral justice possible, especially when our elections are threatened by disinformation and foreign influence, as well as the pandemic?
30 Jun 2021 | Publication
IFES supported the Dominican Republic's Central Electoral Board to identify reform priorities following the 2021 electoral process.
14 Jun 2021 | News and Updates
Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) and IFES met and discussed the important role of the NACP and other independent oversight institutions in protecting and strengthening...
4 Jun 2021 | News and Updates
IFES and the CEELI Institute convened experts who identified innovative approaches, good practices and transparency tools to open up data on money in politics.
3 Jun 2021 | News and Updates
IFES works closely with disabled persons organizations in Sri Lanka to build a country where all persons with disabilities can exercise their rights to participate in public life.
2 Jun 2021 | Multimedia
Breaking the link between money in politics and corruption requires dedicated effort.
1 Jun 2021 | Publication
How can states better utilize peer reviews to combat corruption?
12 May 2021 | News and Updates
On April 28, IFES' Regional Europe Office held a webinar that addressed risks and solutions related to the abuse of state resources.
16 Apr 2021 | Publication
IFES used its Technical Election Assessment Mission (TEAM) methodology to assess the core areas of the electoral process in Serbia.
14 Apr 2021 | News and Updates
Election disputes are a natural outgrowth of the electoral process, and having mechanisms to properly and fairly consider those disputes is vital to electoral integrity. The International Foundation...
2 Mar 2021 | Publication
The risk-limiting audit is a type of post-election tabulation audit that relies on statistical evidence to confirm that the election outcome is correct.
5 Feb 2021 | News and Updates
Under the “Improving Electoral and Political Process for Change in Sudan” program, IFES will continue to support Sudan’s democratic transition until at least November 2023.
21 Dec 2020 | Publication
Lessons learned from COVID-19's impact in Serbia could help future electoral processes worldwide.
17 Dec 2020 | News and Updates
IFES experts tackle the unique challenges to investigating election disputes in the U.S. and around the world.
16 Nov 2020 | Publication
As part of our contribution to the United Nations General Assembly Special Session 2021 and draft political declaration, IFES has recommended six priorities for the international anti-corruption...
28 Oct 2020 | Publication
COVID-19 has suddenly increased demand for voting by mail. A new IFES paper compares practices around the world and provides recommendations.
25 Aug 2020 | Publication
How does COVID-19 entrench state capture and threaten democracies?
20 Aug 2020 | Publication
An IFES white paper presents considerations and recommendations for electoral reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to shore up the credibility of future elections.
28 Jul 2020 | Publication
How can all people participate in elections and democracy during COVID-19 and other crises?
17 Jul 2020 | News and Updates
IFES' Regional Europe Office is a crucial element of our strategy to support the exchange of knowledge, skills and experience among European and Eurasian electoral stakeholders. In light of COVID-19...
23 Jun 2020 | Publication
How can information and elections be protected during COVID-19 and other crises?
10 Jun 2020 | News and Updates
Ukrainian government officials are working to meet their mandates and conduct their work online while under general quarantine. To help address their needs, IFES and the joint Central Election...
3 Jun 2020 | Publication
How can democratic rights and electoral integrity be safeguarded when elections are altered during a crisis like COVID-19?
26 May 2020 | News and Updates
Elections will likely have to continue to adapt to COVID-19 over the next two years. African election management bodies should put the health and safety of voters first while ensuring the integrity...
30 Apr 2020 | News and Updates
In a piece for the Atlantic Council, IFES' Harald Hartvig Jepsen advocates for reforms to Ukraine's Election Code ahead of local elections planned for October.
28 Apr 2020 | News and Updates
With governments across the Middle East and North Africa imposing a variety of emergency restrictions to combat COVID-19, IFES is adapting its support to ensure the critical work of promoting and...
28 Apr 2020 | News and Updates
Public corruption is like a thread that, if pulled, can undermine the entire democratic tapestry. Crisis situations like the COVID-19 pandemic magnify existing vulnerabilities and create new...
15 Apr 2020 | News and Updates
Many countries use indelible ink to ensure that voters cannot cast multiple ballots. Hand-sanitizing procedures, recommended to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, could also affect the ink’s...
14 Apr 2020 | News and Updates
Amidst the uncertainty of COVID-19, many countries are grappling with how to modify election procedures to minimize the risk of transmission or change the system for voting completely to avoid the...
30 Mar 2020 | News and Updates
Without a strong foundation for democratic resilience, a global health crisis can shock democratic institutions and offer a blank check to governments to use emergency powers to curtail political...
28 Feb 2020 | Publication
An IFES fact sheet summarizes the four different ways women’s reserved seats in Bangladesh are currently filled: one system at the national level, two at the subdistrict level and one at the local...
27 Jan 2020 | Publication
IFES conducted a study of women’s political representation and political finance in Nepal’s House of Representatives elections in 2017. IFES hopes the resulting report sparks discussions on the...
3 Jan 2020 | News and Updates
Last month, IFES participated in the Eighth Conference of States Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption in Abu Dhabi. Earlier in the year, the IFES Regional Europe Office hosted...
9 Dec 2019 | News and Updates
Ahead of International Anti-Corruption Day, IFES and the Central and Eastern European Law Initiative Institute met with local partners from Bulgaria, Montenegro and Romania to discuss the...
9 Dec 2019 | News and Updates
Pervasive corruption erodes the credibility and legitimacy of democratic institutions, entrenches fractures in society and undermines governments’ ability to serve their citizens. IFES is a...
29 Nov 2019 | Publication
Libya has since been undergoing a democratic transition since protests erupted in February 2011, and the legal framework for elections has been extremely fragmented throughout the transitional period...
25 Nov 2019 | Publication
IFES' Dr. Fernanda Buril, a program officer for the Americas and electoral operations technical coordinator, reviewed The Credibility Challenge: How Democracy Aid Influences Election Violence for the...
25 Nov 2019 | News and Updates
In September 2019, IFES Manatt Fellow Tinashe Hofisi presented on presidential election petitions in Kenya, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe at the 14th Annual Symposium of the...
25 Nov 2019 | News and Updates
From October 30-November 1, 2019, IFES participated in the Fourth African Judicial Dialogue in Uganda. IFES Manatt Fellow Tinashe Hofisi presented his paper on presidential election petitions in...
22 Nov 2019 | News and Updates
A Wheelchair Doesn’t Stop Community Leader and Election Commissioner Roman Humeniuk, a Man on the Go
IFES works to strengthen institutions to improve the accessibility of the elections for all stakeholders and empower disenfranchised groups to effectively participate in electoral and political...
10 May 2019 | News and Updates
IFES is pleased to announce that Alan Wall, a senior elections adviser and former IFES chief of party, is the recipient of the 2019 Joe C. Baxter Award, after being unanimously selected by IFES’...
3 May 2019 | News and Updates
As part of its efforts to ensure access to reliable information and promote high-quality journalism in Ukraine, IFES organized a study trip to the Baltics for investigative journalists to gain hands-...
2 May 2019 | News and Updates
IFES is working to establish regional peer networks of election arbiters, which allow judges and election commissioners to discuss best practices and share comparative examples of how other countries...
10 Apr 2019 | Multimedia
IFES Director of Research and Technical Leadership Erica Shein and Senior Legal Advisor Katherine Ellena travelled to Saba, a special municipality in the Caribbean Netherlands, for the March 20...
8 Apr 2019 | News and Updates
On April 8, IFES and Guatemala's National Council for Persons with Disabilities and signed a Memorandum of Collaboration (MoC) to enhance collaboration between the two organizations. IFES and...
27 Mar 2019 | News and Updates
IFES’ leadership in the field is comprised of a cadre of women professionals with firsthand experience administering elections in every region of the world. In this Q&A, IFES Legal Advisor...
26 Mar 2019 | News and Updates
IFES’ leadership in the field is comprised of a cadre of women professionals with firsthand experience administering elections in every region of the world. In this Q&A, Renata Levovski...
18 Mar 2019 | News and Updates
Social media offers tangible benefits to democratic discourse but also presents considerable challenges. On February 28, IFES held an event on Capitol Hill focused on emerging approaches to...
21 Feb 2019 | News and Updates
IFES' ongoing work in Sri Lanka, through which it partners with the Election Commission to strengthen transparency, electoral integrity and inclusion in the democratic process, demonstrates four...