Where We Work
Since 1987, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) has worked in over 145 countries around the world. With programming in Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Middle East and North Africa, IFES’ independent expertise strengthens electoral systems and builds local capacity to deliver sustainable solutions.
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27 Oct 2020 | News and Updates
Read a greeting from IFES Chairman Amb. J. Kenneth Blackwell and Co-Chairman Thomas A. Devine.
26 Oct 2020 | Election FAQ
On October 31, Georgian voters will determine whether the ruling party will remain in power. To help you understand this important electoral process, IFES provides Frequently Asked Questions on...
22 Oct 2020 | News and Updates
Read disability rights advocate Judith Heumann's reflection on the 30th anniversary of the civil rights law, which provides protections to Americans with disabilities.
19 Oct 2020 | Election FAQ
On Tuesday, November 3, Americans will vote in the country’s first general elections to take place during a pandemic since 1918. To help you understand this important electoral process, IFES...
13 Oct 2020 | News and Updates
Read and listen to resources related to IFES' Virtual U.S. Election Program. RSVP to learn more!
12 Oct 2020 | News and Updates
In 2020, the United States marks the centennial of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. It was a hard-won success of the U.S. women’s suffrage movement, but work remains to meet its...
9 Oct 2020 | Election FAQ
Voters in Tajikistan have only had one president since 1994 and will go to the polls on October 11 to vote in the next election. To help you understand this important electoral...
8 Oct 2020 | News and Updates
The Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund of the United States and IFES today released a guide to help democratic actors conduct secure elections during the coronavirus pandemic.
8 Oct 2020 | Election FAQ
On Sunday, October 25, Ukrainian voters will go to the polls to vote in local elections. To help you understand this important electoral process, IFES provides Frequently Asked Questions on...
6 Oct 2020 | Publication
IFES is dedicated to creating and protecting safe spaces for people, online and off.
2 Oct 2020 | Election FAQ
On Sunday, October 4, Kyrgyz voters will go to the polls to vote for the 120 deputes in the Jogorku Kenesh, a unicameral parliament.
30 Sep 2020 | Election FAQ
Starting on Friday, October 2, Czech voters will go to the polls to vote for one-third of the Senate and members of regional councils. To help you understand this important electoral process,...
30 Sep 2020 | News and Updates
Dr. Attahiru Muhammadu Jega, Camille Stewart, Sarah Tinsley, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen were elected by the Board of Directors of IFES.
30 Sep 2020 | Publication
How can independent institutions overcome COVID-19 threats to protect democracy during the crisis?
18 Sep 2020 | News and Updates
USAID announced the winners and finalists of the 2020 Democracy, Human Rights and Governance photo contest, which included a photo from the Kyiv Pride March, captured by Roman Shalamov for IFES in...
18 Sep 2020 | News and Updates
To examine how other countries’ electoral experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic can guide preparations in the United States, the Council on Foreign Relations interviewed IFES experts Fernanda...
14 Sep 2020 | News and Updates
An estimated 5 million young people will be eligible to vote for the first time in Myanmar’s 2020 elections. On August 15, IFES brought together young leaders from across Myanmar to participate in...
11 Sep 2020 | News and Updates
In celebration of International Day of Democracy on September 15, IFES affirms people’s right to have a voice in how they are governed to ensure that democracies deliver for all both during and after...
2 Sep 2020 | Election FAQ
Libyan voters are currently in the midst of 38 municipal council elections scheduled in 2020, with 56 more expected in 2021. To help you understand this important electoral process, IFES provides...
26 Aug 2020 | News and Updates
Based on our significant experience promoting gender equality worldwide, IFES submitted comments on USAID's draft 2020 Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment Policy.
26 Aug 2020 | Multimedia
Distributing accurate and timely messages and countering the spread of misinformation is critical in the context of the pandemic.. To increase access to this critical information, IFES and Zaykum...
26 Aug 2020 | News and Updates
To empower underrepresented populations and provide spaces for young Georgians to influence decision-making, IFES launched the "Knowledge, Advocacy, Responsibility, engagement" (KARe) initiative. On...
25 Aug 2020 | Publication
How does COVID-19 entrench state capture and threaten democracies?
25 Aug 2020 | News and Updates
In celebration of International Youth Day 2020, IFES hosted a Facebook Live event on "Young Leaders Building Sustainable Democracies." The event featured young leaders from Nepal, Nigeria and Ukraine.
25 Aug 2020 | News and Updates
To better understand the importance of young people’s participation in elections in Europe during COVID-19 and how young people can address challenges around digital activism, IFES, in partnership...
25 Aug 2020 | News and Updates
Georgia’s Central Election Commission recently upgraded its server infrastructure with support from IFES, which will allow it to detect and mitigate attacks in the context of parliamentary elections...
21 Aug 2020 | Publication
Governments should consider innovative measures to safeguard democratic elections from the risks associated with COVID-19, says a new briefing published by the British Academy and co-authored by IFES...
20 Aug 2020 | Election FAQ
Montenegrins will go to the polls on August 30 to vote for 81 members of Parliament. To help you understand this important electoral process, IFES provides Frequently Asked Questions on ...
20 Aug 2020 | Publication
An IFES white paper presents considerations and recommendations for electoral reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to shore up the credibility of future elections.
19 Aug 2020 | News and Updates
IFES worked with Ukrainian educators and students to move its university-level civic education course online to continue strengthening young people’s civic knowledge and skills during the pandemic.
12 Aug 2020 | News and Updates
Continuing their response efforts to COVID-19 in Bangladesh, IFES and Dhaka University’s Microgovernance Research Initiative organized 11 webinars for the Students Against Violence...
12 Aug 2020 | News and Updates
From July 27-30, IFES partnered with The Gambia’s Independent Electoral Commission to virtually deliver part one of IFES’ Executive Curriculum in Electoral Leadership (iEXCEL) training for...
4 Aug 2020 | News and Updates
On June 21, Serbians voted in parliamentary, provincial and local elections. With a partial opposition boycott and the threat of COVID-19 looming, IFES provided key, targeted assistance to election...
31 Jul 2020 | News and Updates
Through a monthlong social media campaign, IFES will showcase young leaders who are leading efforts to bolster young people’s engagement and participation in democratic processes.
31 Jul 2020 | Publication
Obstacles to full and equal political participation exist across Ukraine. A new IFES assessment identifies vulnerabilities that impact the political participation of Ukrainians with multiple social...
30 Jul 2020 | Election FAQ
Bougainvilleans will go to the polls starting on Wednesday, August 12, to vote for the 39 members of the House of Representatives and a president. These will be the first elections held since the...
29 Jul 2020 | News and Updates
Understanding voters’ fears about going to the polls amid COVID-19 is crucial to creating a safe voting environment. Having conducted nationwide surveys in three countries, IFES has some preliminary...
28 Jul 2020 | Publication
How can all people participate in elections and democracy during COVID-19 and other crises?
20 Jul 2020 | News and Updates
In response to COVID-19, IFES has adapted its disability inclusion work in Ukraine to continue to support the Central Election Commission’s (CEC) election access working group, which brings together...
20 Jul 2020 | News and Updates
In partnership with the Fijian Elections Office, IFES is working to inform election management bodies, civil society organizations and other stakeholders in the Pacific region on best practices for...
17 Jul 2020 | News and Updates
IFES' Regional Europe Office is a crucial element of our strategy to support the exchange of knowledge, skills and experience among European and Eurasian electoral stakeholders. In light of COVID-19...
15 Jul 2020 | News and Updates
A recent IFES webinar focused on how the disinformation landscape is rapidly evolving and how various stakeholders can address the misinformation, disinformation and hate speech related to the...
15 Jul 2020 | News and Updates
The “Power to Persuade” training builds the skills of women with disabilities to advocate with policymakers, elected officials and other political powerbrokers for reform. In response to COVID-19,...
15 Jul 2020 | News and Updates
IFES joins more than 500 political and civil leaders, Nobel Laureates and pro-democracy institutions on an open letter to defend democracy, warning that the freedoms we cherish are under threat from...
14 Jul 2020 | News and Updates
The possibility of holding major electoral events using technologies like internet voting has garnered significant interest during the COVID-19 pandemic. IFES invited experts to weigh in on the...
14 Jul 2020 | News and Updates
Based on international good practices and programs working with persons with disabilities and their organizations in over 60 countries, IFES has prepared recommendations on how to ensure they are...
13 Jul 2020 | News and Updates
On May 14, IFES submitted written evidence to the Parliament of the United Kingdom (UK) in support of the House of Commons International Development Committee inquiry on the effectiveness of UK...
13 Jul 2020 | Election FAQ
Macedonians will go to the polls on Wednesday, July 15, 2020, to vote for 120 members of Parliament. The elections had originally been scheduled for April 12 but were postponed as a result of the...
2 Jul 2020 | News and Updates
In recognition of its efforts to advance the political rights of persons with disabilities worldwide, IFES was invited to join International Disability and Development Consortium as an...
1 Jul 2020 | Election FAQ
Croatians will go to the polls on Sunday, July 5, in country and on July 4 and 5 abroad to vote for the 151 representatives in the Croatian Parliament. To help you understand this important electoral...
30 Jun 2020 | Election FAQ
Dominicans will go to the polls on July 5 to vote for the president, vice president, 190 deputies and 32 senators. To help you understand this important electoral process, IFES provides...