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News & Updates
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Disinformation and Social Media in Elections: A Conversation with Justice José Luis Vargas Valdez
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 disinformation and social media in elections.
News & Updates
Feature
Elections on Trial Project: Inaugural Meeting of the Europe and Eurasia Electoral Jurisprudence Working Group
IFES is working to establish peer networks in Europe and Eurasia and Africa, supported by the United States Agency for International Development. Regional knowledge exchange allows judges and election commissioners to discuss best practices and share comparative examples of how other countries deal with specific categories of complaints and disputes.
News & Updates
Feature
Electoral Justice Assessment of the 2018 Mexican Elections
Under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in December 2017, IFES and the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judicial Branch of Mexico are collaborating on research, program implementation, and the sharing of knowledge in mutual priority areas. As part of this collaboration, for the 2018 Mexican elections IFES will deploy two assessment missions, pre- and post-election, to examine electoral justice processes.
Publication
Report/Paper
Elections on Trial: The Effective Management of Election Disputes and Violations
Mechanisms for election dispute resolution must increasingly withstand new forms of sophisticated political and electoral manipulation. A new IFES research paper, Elections on Trial: The Effective Management of Election Disputes and Violations, outlines the fundamental principles for procedural justice and open justice in election cases.
June 12, 2018
Publication
Report/Paper
Regional Director on “The Elections We Want” in Africa
As part of its annual report, the Wilson Center Africa Program asked IFES Regional Director for Africa Rushdi Nackerdien to contribute an essay on recent African elections. His piece, “The Elections We Want,” covered 2017 elections in Angola, Rwanda, Liberia, Senegal, the Gambia, and Kenya, and their implications for election practitioners moving forward.
January 31, 2018
News & Updates
Feature
MoU with Mexico’s TEPJF Enhances Electoral Integrity Efforts
On December 12, IFES and the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judicial Branch (TEPJF) of Mexico signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at IFES headquarters. This signing further substantiates a longstanding relationship between IFES and the TEPJF and is a reflection of both organizations’ shared commitment to electoral justice and electoral integrity. The signing of the MoU comes at a time when elections face new challenges around the world, and Mexico in particular has demanding year ahead with elections for president, Senate and representatives, some governors and some local positions slated to happen concurrently for the first time in July of 2018.
News & Updates
Interview/Speech/Testimony
Electoral Complaints Adjudication in the Philippines
Transcript of Podcast with Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Paul Anderson and election lawyer and recount expert John “Jack” Harding Young discussing their experience working in the Philippines with IFES and the American Bar Association on the area of Electoral Complaints Adjudication in the Philippines.
Publication
Report/Paper
Lithuania: Money and Politics Case Study
Lithuania has rapidly developed both politically and economically since emerging from the Soviet Union in 1991. While the country has built a functioning parliamentary system of government, has become a member of NATO, and is on the verge of joining the European Union, it still faces many problems associated with the many consolidating democracies around the world. As in all democracies, populations need to trust that those they elect will represent their interests. Problems such as corruption, weaknesses in laws concerning the political financing, and unaccounted for political income and expenditures threaten the credibility of the process and hinder the speed at which democracy is consolidated. Additionally, Lithuania lacks the high level of vibrant debate about the issue of political financing among scholars, journalists and civil society bodies required to promote meaningful reform. Recognizing this, Lithuania has developed an independent Central Electoral Committee (CEC) and adopted laws requiring detailed and public disclosure of political finance accounts. Prior to conducting Money and Politics programming in Lithuania, the CEC had made a demonstrable interest in making information public. While scanning summary report of accounts and placing them on the internet, the user could not search, not easily compare and analyze the information. Interested parties were required to make an appointment to view more detailed, paper-based information. Further, while the Tax Authorities are required to audit final political party reports, enforcement is widely considered to be weak. Few, if any, cases of political finance violations have been forwarded and investigated, not to mention prosecuted. By addressing the difficult issues surrounding political finance with the support of IFES in 2002 and 2003, Lithuania is emerging as a model for other consolidating democracy to follow. Significant areas remain to be addressed. While Lithuania has taken concrete steps to reform political finance legislation, open political finance information to public scrutiny and oversight, and encourage debate, further efforts are required to actively enforce laws and regulations and raise the level of debate among the various governmental, legislative, and civil society groups. By addressing these areas, Lithuania has the potential for being an example of best practices while making local expertise and resources to other countries undergoing similar reforms.
December 31, 2002
Election Material
Civic Education Material
Contienda Electoral : El Financiamiento como reto para la Democracia
“Electoral Contests: Funding as a Challenge for Democracy” is an informative bulletin, available in both Spanish and English, published in 2002 by the “Elecciones Mexico” newsletter in Mexico. The bulletin includes articles on the financing of the political parties, funding as a challenge for democracy, transparent funding of political campaigns, the legitimacy of the Canadian federal electoral financing and articles on money and politics in Latin America and Great Britain .