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
Principal Advisor, IFES, and Senior Country Director, Ukraine
Senior Global Advisor, Electoral Operations and Administration
Related Content
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
On March 31, the International Foundation for Electoral System (IFES) held a virtual signing ceremony in partnership with the Georgian Central Election Commission (CEC), information technology vendor...
8 Apr 2020 | News and Updates
In an op-ed for Devex, IFES' Anthony Banbury shares lessons learned from the Ebola crisis as guidance for holding elections and averting a democracy crisis during COVID-19.
7 Apr 2020 | Publication
COVID-19 has us all interested in online services, including internet voting, but what are the risks? A new IFES paper aims to assist election stakeholders in determining whether internet voting...
2 Apr 2020 | News and Updates
In honor of Global Elections Day, IFES and local partner organizations conducted a two-day training on ensuring the electoral rights of persons with disabilities for representatives of Kyrgyzstan's...
1 Apr 2020 | News and Updates
Last month, IFES and Future Stars, a self-advocacy organization, trained four new trainers with intellectual disabilities on how to build self-confidence to effectively and meaningfully participate...
31 Mar 2020 | Publication
An IFES assessment team found that the cybersecurity capacity and legislative framework in Bosnia and Herzegovina is still at an early stage of development. IFES presented short- and long-term...
30 Mar 2020 | News and Updates
On March 24, IFES held “Slovak Parliamentary Elections in an Era of Disinformation: Post-Election Debrief” as a virtual meeting. The event demonstrated that despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic...
27 Mar 2020 | News and Updates
All electoral activities planned for the near future will be affected one way or another by the COVID-19 pandemic. Election commissions need sound advice and technical assistance to navigate the...
26 Mar 2020 | News and Updates
IFES and the National Youth Council of Macedonia just launched the Public Policy Academy, the first in a series of capacity-building efforts to increase young North Macedonian citizens’ participation...
25 Mar 2020 | News and Updates
Governments worldwide are working remotely, which is a golden opportunity for cyber criminals to sow chaos and make money. Get cyber-safety tips from IFES’ "Regional Election Administration and...
20 Mar 2020 | Publication
Elections around the world have been impacted by COVID-19. IFES has called upon its global network to aggregate the latest information on election postponements, adjusted election dates and risk-...
19 Mar 2020 | Publication
IFES offers expert guidance and best practices to help guide election management bodies’ planning and implementation of electoral events during this global health crisis. Herein we explore risk...
19 Mar 2020 | News and Updates
Read IFES President and CEO Anthony Banbury's message about the impact of the novel coronavirus crisis and how IFES is responding.
18 Mar 2020 | Election FAQ
Vanuatu held elections on March 19. Voters’ concerns included the economy and the Pacific Islands Forum, which will be hosted by Vanuatu in August. To help you understand this important...
6 Mar 2020 | News and Updates
Launched ahead of Myanmar's 2020 elections, the “Advanced She Leads” program will support 40 women leaders to effect positive change in their communities.
4 Mar 2020 | News and Updates
Gender Equality in Elections: Q&A with Ukrainian Central Election Commissioner Viktoriia Hlushchenko
Ahead of International Women's Day, IFES spoke with Central Election Commissioner Viktoriia Hlushchenko, who leads gender mainstreaming and gender equality in organizing elections and referendums in...
28 Feb 2020 | News and Updates
For over 20 years, IFES Senior Civic Education Expert Dr. Greer Burroughs has contributed to the growth of democratic civic education around the world. In this Q&A, Dr. Burroughs reflects on the...
28 Feb 2020 | Publication
Leaders of election management bodies operate in a unique and challenging space. They may be required to carry out their mandates during complex transitions and under crisis scenarios like COVID-19.
27 Feb 2020 | News and Updates
As part of IFES' Democracy: From Theory to Practice course in Ukraine, students work on a capstone project together to identify one important societal issue or problem of their choice, conduct...
26 Feb 2020 | Election FAQ
On March 1, the Republic of Tajikistan held elections to the Majlisi Namoyandagon, the lower house of its bicameral Parliament. Of the 63 members, 41 were elected from single-mandate districts...
24 Feb 2020 | Election FAQ
On February 29, the Slovak Republic held elections for the National Council, which may result in a shake-up in its composition. To help you understand this important electoral process, IFES...
16 Feb 2020 | News and Updates
IFES acknowledges the Central Electoral Board's decision to suspend the municipal elections in the Dominican Republic and encourages all efforts to protect the integrity of the elections through a...
11 Feb 2020 | News and Updates
Last month, IFES and the Nepal Disabled Women Association trained women advocates with disabilities and journalists on rights-based reporting techniques for elections and democratic processes. Such...
6 Feb 2020 | Publication
At the request of the Central Electoral Board and with support of USAID, IFES conducted a pre-electoral assessment of the automated voting system to be used in the Dominican Republic’s upcoming...
6 Feb 2020 | News and Updates
On February 3, 11 Ukrainian students announced the registration of a new nongovernmental organization called the Youth Democratic Association. All of the organization's co-founders were participants...
6 Feb 2020 | Multimedia
Democracy: From Theory to Practice is an innovative, interactive course on civic education currently taught at more than 20 universities across Ukraine. Watch a video to see how thousands of...
30 Jan 2020 | Election FAQ
On February 9, the Republic of Azerbaijan held early elections to replace the Parliament dissolved by President Ilham Aliyev on December 5. Economic, judicial and social reforms ranked high on...
24 Jan 2020 | News and Updates
At the request of the Central Electoral Board and with support from USAID, IFES has been conducting a pre-electoral assessment of the electronic voting system to be used in the Dominican Republic’s...
24 Jan 2020 | News and Updates
Oleh Matvieievskyi is a law, criminology and forensic science lecturer with over 20 years of experience who teaches at the National University Odesa Maritime Academy in Ukraine. His vision of...
24 Jan 2020 | News and Updates
IFES developed the Democracy: From Theory to Practice course, which aims to inspire and prepare students to be active and responsible citizens capable of contributing to healthy democratic...
24 Jan 2020 | News and Updates
The International Day of Education, commemorated on January 24th, celebrates education and its centrality to sustainable development. For more than 30 years, IFES has conducted civic education...
22 Jan 2020 | Election FAQ
On January 23, Nepal held elections to replace 19 National Assembly members whose terms will expire in March. To help you understand this important electoral process, IFES provides Frequently...
17 Jan 2020 | News and Updates
At the request of the Central Electoral Board (JCE) and with support from USAID, IFES is assisting the 2020 electoral process in the Dominican Republic. IFES’ cooperation during the current...
15 Jan 2020 | News and Updates
Residents of Ethiopia's Sidama Zone voted in a referendum for regional autonomy on November 20. With results demonstrating that approximately 98.5 percent voted in support of statehood, Sidama...
14 Jan 2020 | News and Updates
IFES trained Libyan government officials and disability rights advocates on polling station audits and accessible architecture. Such audits and trainings encourage and foster best practices for...
10 Jan 2020 | Multimedia
As part of an effort to enfranchise illiterate women residing in rural areas to hold their government accountable, IFES partnered with USAID and the Tunisian Mediterranean Center to train and deploy...
27 Dec 2019 | News and Updates
Following the success of its June 2019 pilot course, IFES welcomed 12 election management body representatives for its second iteration of the Electoral Technology and Cyber-Hygiene course....
19 Dec 2019 | News and Updates
To make electoral information available to Tunisians who are deaf or hard-of-hearing in the runup to the 2019 national elections, IFES developed a sign language lexicon of nearly 200 electoral...
19 Dec 2019 | Multimedia
On November 30, voters went to the polls for by-elections held in all seven states of Nepal for open local, state and federal elected offices. The by-elections filled vacancies created since the...
19 Dec 2019 | Election FAQ
On December 22, citizens of Uzbekistan went to the polls to elect the 150 members of the Legislative Chamber, the country’s lower house of parliament. To help you understand this important...
17 Dec 2019 | Multimedia
IFES partnered with the Pacific Disability Forum to train 15 women with a diverse range of disabilities in September 2019 as part of the “Power to Persuade” program. The training enhanced...
13 Dec 2019 | Multimedia
Voting in the Bougainville referendum concluded with the announcement of results on December 11. A majority of voters selected independence, at 97.7 percent of the vote. While the referendum is not...
29 Nov 2019 | Publication
A new IFES assessment finds that online abuse and harassment in Ukraine is a pervasive barrier to women’s political participation. It provides recommendations for the Central Election Commission...
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...
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...
20 Nov 2019 | News and Updates
In recognition of their efforts to increase the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the Dominican Republic, IFES and the Disability Alliance for Our Rights were awarded the 2019 Seal for Good...
19 Nov 2019 | Election FAQ
Ethiopia is a federation with nine regional states that can choose their official language and have limited powers over taxation, education, health and land administration. On November 20, residents...
13 Nov 2019 | News and Updates
IFES has joined more than 1,000 other signatories in endorsing the Paris Call for Trust and Security in Cyberspace. As IFES works to ensure that technology, information and data positively serve...
13 Nov 2019 | Election Material
Sample ballot paper and constituency map for Nepal's by-elections to be held on November 30, 2019.
13 Nov 2019 | Election FAQ
On November 30, citizens of Nepal will go to the polls to fill 52 local, state and federal seats that have become vacant since the 2017 general elections. To help you understand this important...