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
4 Feb 2019 | News and Updates
Members of Libya’s High National Elections Commission recently participated in trainings led by IFES, with support from the United States Agency for International Development, on election...
1 Feb 2019 | News and Updates
IFES, the United Nations Development Programme and the Central Election Commission of Armenia organized a parliamentary mandate presentation ceremony. During the event, citizens handed over the...
29 Jan 2019 | Publication
As part of its annual report, the Wilson Center Africa Program asked IFES Regional Director for Africa Rushdi Nackerdien to contribute an essay on campaign finance. His piece, “Political Campaign...
28 Jan 2019 | Election FAQ
On February 3, Salvadoran citizens went to the polls to elect a new president. With decreased trust in established political parties, smaller parties’ recent electoral successes have challenged the...
18 Jan 2019 | Election FAQ
On January 21 and February 6, registered voters in localities covered by the proposed Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in the Philippines and areas that successfully petitioned for inclusion in the...
16 Jan 2019 | News and Updates
Anthony Banbury serves as the president and CEO of IFES. He previously held leadership roles in diplomacy, crisis management and humanitarian assistance, and most recently served as the United...
11 Jan 2019 | News and Updates
In spring 2018, Armenia witnessed a change in government following peaceful street protests. The country’s new leadership announced a state program that prioritized a revision of the electoral...
28 Dec 2018 | Election FAQ
On December 30, Congolese citizens went to the polls to vote in presidential, national and provincial elections. If the elections took place without violence, this would be the first peaceful...
28 Dec 2018 | News and Updates
On December 13, 27 Dominican youth with disabilities celebrated completing the Engaging a New Generation for Accessible Governance and Elections course at the Iberoamerican University (UNIBE) in...
27 Dec 2018 | Publication
Over a two-week period around Tunisia's 2018 municipal elections, IFES conducted a disability rights assessment mission to look at the barriers and opportunities related to political participation of...
21 Dec 2018 | News and Updates
In Guatemala, IFES' support to the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), the country’s main election management body, includes ongoing collaboration to implement political finance reform, such as...
21 Dec 2018 | News and Updates
On November 8, IFES conducted a training with Papua New Guinea Election Commission staff and disabled people’s organizations on disability-inclusive elections, which empowered participants to work...
21 Dec 2018 | News and Updates
This has been a year of transition for IFES as we welcomed Tony Banbury as our new leader and bid farewell to former President and CEO Bill Sweeney. Throughout 2018, the IFES team continued...
13 Dec 2018 | Multimedia
On November 14, IFES conducted a training for the Office of the Bougainville Electoral Commissioner and disability rights advocates in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea.
10 Dec 2018 | News and Updates
On November 1-4, 2018, the General Election Network for Disability Access organized a communications and advocacy training of disabled people’s organizations and civil society organizations from...
6 Dec 2018 | News and Updates
IFES arranged a visit centered around the administration of the United States’ general elections for Dr. Emad Alsaiah, chairman of the Libyan High National Elections Commission, and Mr. Salam Shrayef...
6 Dec 2018 | Survey
In 2018, IFES – with the support of USAID – conducted a nationwide household survey exploring public opinion of the political situation in Libya and voter intentions to participate in future...
4 Dec 2018 | News and Updates
IFES has a vision of a world in which strong democratic institutions include the voices of all citizens, protect them from violence that seeks to silence them, and support them in seeking justice. We...
26 Nov 2018 | Publication
In response to a recent study by Max Grömping entitled The Integrity of Elections in Asia: Policy Lessons from Expert Evaluations, IFES produced a briefing paper with some examples of policy...
16 Nov 2018 | News and Updates
On November 14, 2018, Vasu Mohan, IFES' regional director for Asia-Pacific and technical lead on elections, conflict and security, provided testimony to the House of Representatives’ Tom Lantos Human...
14 Nov 2018 | News and Updates
Earlier this year, IFES research in Zimbabwe found that women engaging in elections as candidates, voters and journalists were experiencing devastating sexual extortion, physical violence, harassment...
9 Nov 2018 | News and Updates
On November 6, 2018, IFES and the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) celebrated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which reaffirms the longstanding relationship between IFES and...
9 Nov 2018 | News and Updates
On September 9, IFES and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of The Gambia co-organized a workshop on the theme “Elections in The Gambia: Toward Consensus and Access,” which was attended by...
9 Nov 2018 | News and Updates
On November 5, 2018, IFES President and CEO Anthony Banbury met with Dr. Lorenzo Córdova Vianello, chair of Mexico’s National Electoral Institute (INE), and they reaffirmed their mutual...
9 Nov 2018 | News and Updates
IFES organized a street theater tour across Tunisia to encourage civic participation among marginalized populations who, living in remote, hard-to-access communities, lack access to information on...
30 Oct 2018 | Election FAQ
On November 6, United States citizens went to the polls to elect all 435 members of the House of Representatives, 35 members of the Senate and a number of state and local representatives. To...
26 Oct 2018 | Election FAQ
On November 14, Fijian citizens went to the polls to elect 51 members of Parliament, the country’s national legislature. The political party that controls a majority or plurality of seats will form a...
22 Oct 2018 | Election FAQ
On October 28, Georgian citizens went to the polls to elect the next president. This was the country’s seventh and last direct presidential election since its independence from the Soviet Union in...
19 Oct 2018 | News and Updates
On September 19, IFES and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.) co-hosted a briefing on how technology can engage and connect women; increase and inhibit political participation; provide...
17 Oct 2018 | Publication
In a new publication, IFES outlines strategies for election management bodies to strengthen their technology and procedures to resist vulnerabilities, by following what we have termed a Holistic...
10 Oct 2018 | News and Updates
A photograph depicting an insightful moment of Election Day in Mexico has won the top prize of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems’ 2018 Photography Contest. It was one of six photos...
9 Oct 2018 | News and Updates
On August 4, 2018, IFES and the Libyan Ministry of Education (MoE) celebrated the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at underpinning future cooperation in Libya. The MoU is the...
5 Oct 2018 | News and Updates
IFES was honored to participate in an international visitors’ program on the occasion of Quebec’s 42nd general elections from September 28 to October 3, in Quebec City, Canada. The 2018...
5 Oct 2018 | News and Updates
At a ceremony in Tunis on October 4, the United States Government and the Government of Denmark announced their joint support to strengthen municipal council electoral processes in Libya through IFES.
4 Oct 2018 | News and Updates
On October 5th, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women will brief the General Assembly on violence against women in politics and release a dedicated report, which ...
4 Oct 2018 | Election FAQ
On October 7, Bosnia and Herzegovina held presidential, parliamentary, entity and cantonal elections. To help you understand this important electoral process, IFES provides Frequently Asked Questions...
1 Oct 2018 | News and Updates
Georgia’s Central Election Commission (CEC) and Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) signed their third consecutive Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on electoral security on September 12, 2018. The...
1 Oct 2018 | News and Updates
The ability for people to participate in elections free from the fear of harm is essential to inclusive, credible elections and protected by the right to human security and universal suffrage. In...
1 Oct 2018 | Election FAQ
On October 7, Brazil held presidential, legislative, and local elections. Former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was banned from running in the presidential election, and candidates also competed...
30 Sep 2018 | News and Updates
An IFES delegation, led by President and CEO Bill Sweeney, met with Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhktadze on September 18, in Washington, D.C. Bakhtadze credited IFES for providing key...
19 Sep 2018 | News and Updates
IFES is pleased to be an associated partner in a new training network for early-stage researchers in the field of disability rights. The Disability Advocacy Research in Europe project will recruit 15...
19 Sep 2018 | News and Updates
IFES and the Nepal Disabled Women Association trained women with disabilities as part of a “Power to Persuade: Empowering Women with Disabilities to Influence Public Policy” training from August 27-...
19 Sep 2018 | News and Updates
The Papua New Guinea Electoral Commission officially launched its 2018-2022 Corporate Plan, which will guide the commission’s efforts to prepare for and conduct effective, inclusive elections,...
12 Sep 2018 | News and Updates
On August 29-30, 2018, IFES implemented a new tool for training senior electoral leaders in Colombo, Sri Lanka, following the fourth annual Asian Electoral Stakeholders Forum. The curriculum was...
11 Sep 2018 | News and Updates
In Kosovo, IFES’ team has initiated a noteworthy program for Election Complaints and Appeals Panel (ECAP) Secretariat staffers, as part of the USAID-funded Strengthening Election Administration...
11 Sep 2018 | News and Updates
On August 8, 2018, the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) announced that President Joseph Kabila will not be running during the country’s highly anticipated elections set...
30 Aug 2018 | Multimedia
On August 10, the Office of the Bougainville Electoral Commissioner, in partnership with IFES, held a youth participation in elections workshop to celebrate International Youth Day 2018.
24 Aug 2018 | Publication
From April 29 to May 5, 2018, IFES, with the support of the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights, participated in a Mission of Technical Accompaniment in Mexico City to analyze the reforms,...
23 Aug 2018 | News and Updates
With the spread of fake news undermining electoral processes worldwide, it has become crucial for the success and security of elections that authorities learn how to identify and counter...
23 Aug 2018 | News and Updates
During the May 2018 municipal elections in Tunisia, IFES conducted an assessment of access and political barriers encountered by women and men with disabilities with support from the United States...
13 Aug 2018 | News and Updates
IFES is pleased to announce that Dong Nguyen Huu, a distinguished elections expert who is currently an advisor to the three Mexican electoral authorities, has supported numerous elections worldwide...