Joe Baxter is a legendary figure in the field of international electoral assistance, who has left a deep and indelible mark on those who had the privilege of working with him and sharing his knowledge and principles.  Joe's vision was that democracy, to be meaningful, must be locally owned and driven, and it has to be adapted to the specific conditions in each country. 

Joe began his career in election administration in 1974 in New Orleans (Orleans Parish) Louisiana, USA. In 1983, he joined the "Board of Elections and Ethics" in Washington, D.C. as Registrar of Voters.

During his tenure with the D.C. Board, he was instrumental in transforming the election administration system of Washington from one of the most poorly managed systems in the United States to a model one.  While serving as Registrar of Voters in Washington D.C., Joe began advising the United Nations as an election consultant.  In June 1994, Joe joined the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia (UNOMIL), as its Chief Electoral Officer.

“Joe was one of IFES’ most successful chiefs of party,” said IFES President Richard Soudriette. “He had a profound impact on helping develop Ghana as one of the true model election systems in Africa.  In the process, he was actually designated as "Nana Kwafo", a chief of one of the major tribes in Ghana, a true measure of the respect he earned.”

In October 1994, he joined IFES as Project Manager for the "Supporting the Electoral Process" (STEP) Project in Ghana, where he spent two and a half years assisting in the planning for the 1996 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, setting up mechanisms to register 9.2 million voters and to train tens of thousands of election officials.  Furthermore, Joe assisted the Electoral Commission of Ghana in developing its internationally recognized voter registration system.

In 1997, Joe was named Senior Advisor for Election Administration for IFES.  In such capacity, he traveled to 18 different countries (among which Uganda, Namibia, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Malawi, Nigeria, Pakistan, Georgia and Armenia) on technical assessment, assistance and election observation missions for IFES and the United Nations, helping to set up election commissions, draft election laws and procedures, set up voter registries, and launch voter education and poll worker training programs.

Joe's absolute passion for credible and legitimate elections and his firm commitment to principles of local ownership, transparency and sustainability of electoral administration contributed to build his reputation not only internationally, but also in his home country.

His last assignment was in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, where - as a Country Director for IFES - he assisted the Independent National Election Commission in developing its 3-year strategic plan and its programme for the compilation of a new voters’ register.

In June 2003, a few months before Joe passed away, the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics issued a resolution thanking Joe for making the Board “one of the most respected election bodies in the United States” and recognizing his “outstanding contributions in helping to advance the sanctity of the ballot box and the right to vote by citizens in every corner of the globe.”

Joe left us with a big void and, at the same time, with important legacies and exemplary pieces of work, including:

• Techniques to Effective Election Management (1994)
• Analysis of the Voter Registration System in Georgia (1998)
• Strategic Planning for Election Organisations (1999)
  
• Election Training: a new approach (2000)

• National Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone, Strategic Plan (2001)

• Election Administration Training (BEAT) for Nigeria

In recognition of Joe's legacy in the field of election administration throughout the United States and around the globe, IFES has established the Joe C. Baxter Election Administration Fellowship Program to bring outstanding mid-level election officials from around the world to the United States each year for six weeks of training and professional exchange.