This is the first paper in the “Operational Paper Series” published by the Joint EC UNDP Task Force on Electoral Assistance (JTF). It was prepared in collaboration with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) and the ACE Electoral Knowledge Network (ACE). It is therefore also published as ACE Focus On.1 This paper is the result of operational lessons and best practices learned since 2004 through the partnership between the European Commission (EC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The collaboration between the JTF and International IDEA since 2004 has enabled continual support to the ACE Project using materials and tools derived from: EC–UNDP projects, UNDP and IDEA Guides on Electoral Assistance/Electoral Administration and Joint EC-UNDP-IDEA face-to-face Training and eLearning Course on Effective Electoral Assistance.

The paper aims to provide a resource for stakeholders contributing to or benefiting from electoral assistance. While focusing primarily on UNDP rules, its major aspects involved in the procurement and the application of ICTs solutions in voter registration, of interest to: electoral management bodies (EMB) local civil society organisations (CSO) involved in elections; political parties; media actors; EU Delegations and headquarters; UNDP Country Offices and headquarters; the wider community of development partners and donors; as well as service providers and vendors.

The issues outlined in this paper, will be elaborated further in a handbook on “ICTs civil/ voter registration and data transmission” and an “eLearning Course on ICTs in Electoral Processes and Electoral Procurement” currently being finalised by the Joint Task Force and IDEA in the context of the ACE activities. In addition, these aspects are regularly addressed in UNDP electoral assistance projects as part of the work of the Joint EC-UNDP Task Force and the support of the UNDP Global Programme for Electoral Cycle Support (GPECS).