IFES Ltd. Final Report on Kosovo Voter Education Outreach Project

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

With support from the Department for International Development (DFID), IFES Ltd initiated and delivered an interactive voter education outreach programme in Kosovo targeted at the furthest and most remote communities in all five regions of the province. The project began on 25 September and concluded 4 November, following the 28 October 2000 municipal elections. The project, unique to Kosovo, featured regional Kosovar trainers and the delivery of interactive voter education which took place daily during the last three weeks of October leading up to the municipal elections. The aim of the project was to reach Kosovars in rural areas in all regions' some without access to television or radio - and to ensure that they received information about Election Day procedures and municipal governance, including:

•          Understanding the voting process

•          Secrecy of the ballot

•          Nature of local governance - what freely elected local government can do, and the role citizens can play in the process to improve their lives and hold elected officials accountable.

Twelve trainers covering all five regions in Kosovo conducted the active three-week outreach work. The final results of the outreach project far exceeded initial estimates. In the 15 days of training delivery (10 October through 27 October), 6,478 Kosovars attended interactive voter education discussions across the Province in 248 sessions.