Electoral Management
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) works to capture, develop and share knowledge on effective electoral management and leadership as key factors in achieving credible electoral environments that contribute to good governance, stability and development. Electoral management entails effectively organizing a high quality election process. Electoral leadership is the ability to project and inspire competence, productivity, ethical behavior and trust. IFES uses a range of tools to achieve these objectives, including: in-depth assessments, research and lessons-learned exercises; evidence-based assistance to election management bodies; visionary electoral reform and strategic/operational planning; genuine collaboration between all key electoral stakeholders; and, progressive capacity-building on all of the above disciplines to strengthen current and future electoral leaders.
Related Experts See All IFES Experts
Vice President, Programs
Principal Advisor, IFES, and Senior Country Director, Ukraine
Senior Global Advisor, Electoral Operations and Administration
Related Content
16 Sep 2015 | News and Updates
To mark International Day of Democracy, IFES Pakistan and its partners organized a seminar on civil society engagement in social and political life in Pakistan. Read this story to learn about the...
2 Sep 2015 | Election FAQ
Amid a tense political scene, Guatemalans will got to the polls on September 6 for general elections, voting for President and Vice President, Representatives to the Guatemalan Congress and the...
21 Aug 2015 | News and Updates
Sri Lankan Electoral Commissioner Mahinda Deshapriya has set the bar high for future electoral leaders in Sri Lanka with his fair, ethical and bold leadership.
10 Aug 2015 | Election FAQ
On August 17, Sri Lankan citizens will elect 225 Members of Parliament to serve five-year terms. The parliamentary vote follows President Maithripala Sirisena’s decision to dissolve the previous...
6 Aug 2015 | Election FAQ
On August 9, Haitians citizens will elect two-thirds of the 30-member Senate and all 119 members of the Chamber of Deputies, which together compose the country’s bicameral Parliament.
5 Aug 2015 | Publication
The Handbook for Organizations of and for Persons with Disabilities to Utilize Media for Advocacy Efforts serves as a tool to improve media outreach strategies and increase media coverage and...
3 Aug 2015 | News and Updates
Since 2013, IFES has been assisting the Union Election Commission of Myanmar in its efforts to involve other key electoral stakeholders, such as civil society organizations, political parties and the...
20 Jul 2015 | Election FAQ
The Republic of Burundi currently has presidential elections scheduled for July 21, 2015 and senatorial elections scheduled for July 24, 2015. On June 29, 2015, Burundians voted in communal elections...
15 Jul 2015 | News and Updates
Nigeria’s former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, has been an important force for democracy in Nigeria during his tenure as the country’s top...
9 Jul 2015 | News and Updates
The Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) of Guatemala has launched its 2015 elections website with information for voters on the electoral process and voting procedures.
25 Jun 2015 | Survey
Civic education programs proliferated in the past few decades based on a strong belief that successful democratic consolidations require a strong and independent civil society that can mobilize and...
2 Jun 2015 | Election FAQ
On June 7, Mexican citizens will head to the polls to elect 500 members of the Chamber of Deputies (the lower house of Congress), state legislatures, local councils and Governors in some states.
1 Jun 2015 | Election FAQ
On June 7, Turkish citizens will head to the polls to elect Deputies to the 550-member Grand National Assembly (Türkiye Büyük Millet Meclisi, or TBMM). With electoral victories in the previous three...
26 May 2015 | News and Updates
April 2015 marked the one-year anniversary of the formation of the Civic Education Lecturers Association (CELA) – a formal network of over 50 university-level civic educators who teach the...
21 May 2015 | News and Updates
On May 17, 2015, the Vice Chancellor of The Maldives National University (MNU), Dr. Hassan Hameed, and International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) Maldives Chief of Party Beverly Hagerdon...
21 May 2015 | News and Updates
Free media have long been recognized as a cornerstone of democracy and play an important role in influencing political discourse during elections. When free and balanced, traditional media (print and...
14 May 2015 | News and Updates
The May 2015 general elections mark the third elections for the House of Representatives for the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG), and the fourth elections for the President (including the by...
12 May 2015 | News and Updates
The rise in global social media has significantly shifted the ways in which citizens are able to engage with candidates, parties, electoral officials, and with each other throughout the electoral...
23 Apr 2015 | Election FAQ
Following incumbent President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s call for early elections, Kazakhstani citizens will head to the polls on April 26 to vote for their next President. In a nationwide address,...
16 Apr 2015 | News and Updates
In this International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) Q&A, IFES Bangladesh Chief of Party Alistair Legge talks about the People Against Violence in Elections (PAVE) program, including how...
16 Apr 2015 | News and Updates
In order to better understand electoral violence, this article offers highlights from a forthcoming study that aims to shed some light on measures taken by stakeholders around the world to ensure...
16 Apr 2015 | News and Updates
Already marred by political tensions that have their roots in the 12-year civil war that ended in 2005 under the authority of the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement for Burundi, the 2015...
14 Apr 2015 | News and Updates
Greg Kehailia is currently the Senior Governance and Civil Society Advisor at the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX). Previously, he was the International Foundation for Electoral...
1 Apr 2015 | News and Updates
Ahead of Nigeria’s 2015 general elections, I traveled to Nigeria to witness the preparations for the vote and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems’ (IFES) support for this vitally...
27 Mar 2015 | News and Updates
Since 1999, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) has been engaged with the Nigerian Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in a remarkable partnership. In many...
23 Mar 2015 | Election FAQ
Following a six-week postponement stemming from security concerns and violence perpetrated by Boko Haram, Nigerians head to the polls on March 28 for presidential and National Assembly elections and...
20 Mar 2015 | News and Updates
On March 18, 2015, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) President and CEO Bill Sweeney provided testimony to the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global...
19 Mar 2015 | News and Updates
In the last decade, Nepal has made significant progress in promoting gender equality and women’s political participation, including adopting women’s rights-focused international and national...
19 Mar 2015 | News and Updates
Former IFES Russia Project Director Christian Nadeau has worked in international development and democracy promotion for twelve years in more than thirty countries. In this Q&A, Nadeau discusses...
6 Mar 2015 | News and Updates
On March 3, 2015, staff from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) met with one of IFES’ newest Board Directors, Irena Hadžiabdić, for a brief introduction to her career and to...
27 Feb 2015 | News and Updates
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is deeply saddened by the murder of Libyan lawyer and civil society activist Intesar El-Hsairi and strongly condemns this cowardly act of...
20 Feb 2015 | News and Updates
As Egypt prepares for parliamentary elections that will be held starting in March 2015, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) President and CEO Bill Sweeney traveled to Egypt to...
20 Feb 2015 | News and Updates
The following is a statement by Bill Sweeney, President and CEO of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), regarding the arrest and intimidation of several Venezuelan opposition...
19 Feb 2015 | Multimedia
An informed citizenry is crucial for a vibrant and resilient democracy. IFES engages in a variety of civic education activities in Latin America and the Caribbean, including informing voters of their...
19 Feb 2015 | News and Updates
A former IFES Chief of Party in several countries, Mariela López-Vargas has more than 25 years of experience in international development. In this Q&A, López-Vargas discusses field...
15 Jan 2015 | News and Updates
Having a reliable voter register is a key concern for election management bodies. An accurate voter register ensures voter access to, and the integrity of, the electoral process. Launched in October...
15 Jan 2015 | News and Updates
Former Senior Development Manager Triona O’Connor excels at helping others understand
how to navigate and make sense of complex international grants, cooperative agreements and contracts. In...
14 Jan 2015 | Multimedia
Originally slated for October 14, 2014, Liberia's special senatorial elections were moved to December 20 due to the Ebola outbreak. Amid this public health crisis, Liberians headed to the polls to...
18 Dec 2014 | News and Updates
On December 10, 2014, Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) hosted a dedication of the third floor of the national DNC’s offices in honor of the late Charles...
18 Dec 2014 | News and Updates
As Nepal undergoes critical electoral and governance changes, IFES Nepal is working with local partners to register Nepalis – including Dalits, youth, Muslim women, freed Kamaiya (those subjected to...
18 Dec 2014 | News and Updates
During any democratic election, the need for transparency and up-to-date information is paramount to the credibility of the vote. Since 2011, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES...
18 Dec 2014 | Election FAQ
Originally slated for October 14, 2014, Liberia's special senatorial elections were moved to December 20 due to the Ebola outbreak. Amid this public health crisis, Liberians will head to the polls to...
18 Dec 2014 | News and Updates
A former Senior Program Manager at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, Laurie Cooper specializes in conflict resolution and the rule of law. Most recently, she was Chief of Party for...
25 Nov 2014 | News and Updates
On Sunday, November 30, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova will open nearly 100 polling stations around the globe in order for Moldovans residing abroad to vote in the country...
24 Nov 2014 | Election FAQ
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21 Nov 2014 | Multimedia
On November 20, 2014, Tunisia’s High Independent Authority for Elections (ISIE) held a press conference to reopen its Media Center for the November 23 presidential election. The International...
20 Nov 2014 | Multimedia
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20 Nov 2014 | News and Updates
On December 17, 2010, a Tunisian street vendor called Mohamed Bouazizi doused himself in flammable liquid and self-immolated, sparking a revolution that would not only change the political trajectory...
19 Nov 2014 | Multimedia
Quality election management is a vital core of democracy. A legitimate electoral process and public confidence in democratic governance depends on both the actual and perceived integrity of an...
18 Nov 2014 | Election FAQ
Nearly four years after the Arab Spring was sparked in Tunisia and much of the region, Tunisians head to the polls on November 23 to elect their next President.