The Electoral Management topic area of the ACE Encyclopaedia has been completely re-written since it was first launched. The revisions are based on the International IDEA Handbook on Electoral Management Design (2006 and 2014). For information about lead writers and other contributors - please see Electoral Management Design: The International IDEA Handbook. The leading organisation responsible for the completion of this topic area is International IDEA. This topic area was updated in 2014.
About the Authors
Helena Catt has been working around elections for 28 years as a practitioner, academic and consultant. From 2004–2009 she was Chief Executive and Commissioner of the New Zealand Election Commission. During that time there were two elections and the introduction of new party political finance legislation. She also oversaw extensive work on voter and civic education and encouraging participation. Prior to that she was an academic in the Department of Politics at the University of Auckland, teaching and researching on comparative democratic practice. In 2009 she returned to her native Scotland and has been working as an international election consultant and BRIDGE facilitator.
Andrew Ellis is a senior international consultant on elections, constitutions and democracy building based in Falmouth, UK. He retired from International IDEA in early 2014 having served as Director for Asia and the Pacific, Director of Operations, and Head of Electoral Processes. He was Senior Adviser for NDI in Indonesia from 1999 to 2003, working on constitutional reform, electoral process and decentralisation issues. He is the co-author of the IDEA handbooks Electoral System Design: The New International IDEA Handbook, Electoral Management Design Handbook, Direct Democracy, Voting from Abroad and Electoral Justice, and has written numerous papers on institutional framework design questions. Other major assignments have included acting as Chief Technical Adviser to the Palestinian Election Commission for the 1996 elections and designing the European Commission’s electoral assistance programme in Cambodia for the 1998 elections. Andrew is a former Vice Chair and Secretary General of the UK Liberal Party, leader of the party’s group on a first tier local authority, and Chief Executive of the UK Liberal Democrats.
Michael Maley spent more than 30 years as an election administrator before retiring in November 2012 from the position of Special Adviser, Electoral Reform and International Services, Australian Electoral Commission (AEC). He has done extensive work internationally: managing the AEC’s overseas programs for the better part of 20 years; taking part in UN peacekeeping, observation and electoral survey and needs assessment missions, including in Namibia, Cambodia, South Africa, Timor-Leste, Western Sahara, Eastern Slavonia and Lesotho; working at UN headquarters, and for the Commonwealth Secretariat, International IDEA and IFES; and initiating the development of the BRIDGE electoral administrators’ course.
Alan Wall, IFES Chief of Party in Kosovo since September 2013, has 30 years of experience in electoral administration and as a democracy adviser. From 1985 to 1994 he held various management positions with the Australian Electoral Commission. He was Country Director for IFES in Azerbaijan in 1999/2000, Indonesia 2000 to 2004, and Nepal 2010 to 2013. He has been a senior electoral official for the United Nations in Eastern Slavonia in 1996 and Nigeria in 1998, and an adviser to the South African government for the 1995 local government elections. From 2005 to 2009 Alan was Senior Advisor to Democracy International, and directed their election assistance in Indonesia and opinion polling programs in Indonesia and Timor-Leste. He has also implemented reviews of voter registration and/or electoral management systems in Bhutan, Iraq, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Ukraine.
Peter Wolf has focused on ICT applications in electoral processes since joining the Elections Department of the OSCE mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1999, where he worked on voter registration and results databases. He was a consultant in voter registration projects in Albania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Iraq, and has served in various international election observation missions, amongst others as an electronic voting expert in France, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Venezuela and the Philippines. As part of his work on elections and technology for International IDEA he authored the policy paper Introducing Electronic Voting: Essential Considerations. Peter holds a master’s degree in Telematik/Computer Engineering from Graz University of Technology, Austria.
The Case Study Authors
Ileana Aguilar Olivares has a licentiateship in Political Sciences from the University of Costa Rica. She is a former Program Officer at CAPEL and at International IDEA, and is currently the Head of International and Inter- Institutional Cooperation for IFED, the Institute of Formation and Studies on Democracy of the Supreme Tribunal of Elections.
Olufunto Akinduro is the head of the Elections and Political Processes Department at the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA) in Johannesburg South Africa. She oversees the institute’s election- related programmes which include election observation and technical assistance to key stakeholders like electoral commissions, national civil society groups, continental and regional institutions. Prior to her work at EISA, she worked in the field of elections and democracy in Nigeria for five years. During this period she managed the secretariat of the Electoral Reform Network (ERN). She has observed elections in Nigeria and in many African countries under the auspices of the African Union, ECOWAS and EISA Observer Missions. She has a masters in Development Studies specialising in governance and democracy; and a masters in Peace and Conflict Studies.
Gabrielle Bardall is an academic and an electoral assistance expert with a decade of experience supporting electoral processes in transitional states. She has worked in more than 20 countries with international organizations including UNDP, UN Women, DPKO, IFES, DRI, the Carter Center and others. Gabrielle holds a BA from McGill University in Montreal and a master’s degree from the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris. Motivated by her professional work, Gabrielle is currently completing her PhD at the University of Montreal on the topic of election violence and democratization. She is a 2012 Trudeau Scholar and an expert BRIDGE facilitator.
Vake Blake is the Chief Returning Officer of the Tonga Electoral Commission. She has worked with the election unit of the Prime Minister’s Office of Tonga since 2007 and with Tonga Electoral Commission since 2010.
Andy Campbell is the Managing Director of Asabiyya Consulting, which he co-founded in 2011, and has over 20 years’ democracy experience in the Middle East, South Asia and the South Pacific. Before joining the AEC (1999-2004) he was an active member of a political party. His Afghan election experience includes Head of Office for the Afghanistan OCV with IOM (2004); Regional Elections Coordinator with the UN (2005) based in Kandahar; LTO with NDI in Jalalabad and Chief Analyst in Kabul (2009); Afghanistan Country Director of National Democratic Institute (NDI), where he also led the NDI EOM (2010). His EOM experience also includes being member of the ANFREL leadership delegation for the Thai general election (2011) and STO in Timor- Leste parliamentary election (2012). He remains active in the Afghan electoral and political process advising CSOs, NGOs as well as conducting assessments for donors. Andy is a deployable election specialist with the Australian Civilian Corps (DFAT) and serves as a Council of Experts member for Regional Dialogue (Uzbekistan). He has a master’s degree in International Relations and Political Science, bachelor's degree in Social Anthropology and Comparative Religious Studies and a graduate certificate in Public Administration.
Eric des Pallières has worked in democracy and electoral support for over 15 years with the UN, the EU and the OSCE in South East Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and the Maghreb. After a diversified experience in the design and implementation of international technical assistance projects, Eric has contributed to numerous election observation and assessment missions with the EU and ODIHR. In Cambodia, he served as the EU Legal Advisor to the National Election Committee from 2008 to 2010. He recently led EU-funded support to civil society organizations ahead of transitional elections in the field of election observation and electoral dispute resolution, in Tunisia (2011) and Madagascar (2013).
Arpine Galfayan works with the Institute for Democracy and Human Rights (IDHR), an NGO in Armenia, where she is involved in civil society organizing and active citizenship education. Between 2002 and 2008 she managed electoral and capacity development projects at International IDEA’s program in the South Caucasus and office in Armenia. She is also a facilitator of BRIDGE, with experience in the South Caucasus, central and Eastern European and central Asian countries. She collaborates freelance with local and international organizations on democracy development and human rights related projects, including training, reporting, facilitation of legal reform recommendations, etc.
Irena Hadžiabdić graduated from the Belgrade Faculty of Law and she holds a master’s degree in EU Policy, Law and Management from RGU, Aberdeen. She has spent 17 years in the field of elections, first in OSCE, then as Executive Director of the IFES in BiH. Until 2007 she was Executive Director of the Association of Election Officials in BiH (AEOBiH). In 2007 she was appointed by the BiH Parliamentary Assembly as a member of the BiH Central Election Commission (BiH CEC). From January 2010 to September 2011 she was president of the BiH CEC. She represents the BiH CEC at the Executive Board of the ACEEEO and at the moment she chairs the Oversight and Audit Committee of the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB). She has observed and assessed elections in 14 countries with OSCE/ODIHR, IRI and NDI. In 2013 she received the international award for outstanding achievements in electoral management.
Toby S. James is a lecturer in British Politics in the School of Political, Social and International Studies at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK. His research interests include the governance and implementation of elections, political leadership and the policy process. He has published a range of articles on election administration and is the author of Elite Statecraft and Election Administration (Palgrave, 2012). He was previously a lecturer at Swansea University and a British Research Council Scholar at the Library of Congress, Washington D.C., and holds a PhD from the University of York.
Claude Kabemba is a chief research manager in the Society, Culture and Identity Research Programme at the Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa. He holds a master’s degree in international relations from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and is a PhD candidate in international relations at the same university. Previously he worked at the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA) as research programme manager and at the Centre for Policy Studies and the Development Bank of Southern Africa. He has also worked as a consultant for international organizations such as Oxfam, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Norwegian People’s Aid and the African Union. His main areas of research interest include issues of democratization and governance, election politics, citizen participation, conflicts, the media, political parties, civil society, and social policies.
Shumbana Karume is the head of the Democracy and Electoral Assistance Unit at the Department of Political Affairs of the African Union Commission. She has wide experience in the areas of electoral democracy, regional integration and other issues that cover governance and democracy in Africa. Prior to working for the African Union, she worked for the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA) in South Africa, the Southern African Research and Documentation Centre (SARDC) in Zimbabwe and the United Nations.
Jebeh Kawa has been an information technology generalist for 15 years, with interests in social justice issues including gender mainstreaming and child welfare since 2009. Since 1997 she has worked with multi-national companies such as Accenture, PFPC and Société Générale, supporting client-driven environments in meeting enterprise objectives and she has worked with national governments through her tenure as Gender Coordinator at Liberia’s National Elections Commission. She has also supported the IT-related attributes of electoral management for a local district while undergoing and implementing training to carry out poll center operations—including poll-worker screening, training, supervision and payroll, delivering time-bound solutions to elections management issues. Originally from Liberia, West Africa, Jebeh currently resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States.
Jeong-Gon Kim is the Director General of the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB). He has worked at the National Election Commission of the Republic of Korea (NEC) for 18 years in various positions such as the Team Manager of Legal Affairs Division and Head of International Elections Department. Recognizing the need for strengthened solidarity among electoral management bodies in order to ensure transparent electoral process worldwide, he first proposed the establishment of A-WEB. He is currently involved in various activities that can develop democratic culture and environment for free, fair, transparent and participative elections worldwide.
Carlos M. Navarro is the Director of International Studies and Projects of the National Electoral Institute (INE) of Mexico. He has written several publications about the Mexican electoral regime, as well as diverse international comparative studies on political and electoral issues. He has participated in international technical assistance missions in different regions around the world and he is responsible for the design and conduct the specialization workshops that INE organizes twice a year for representatives of EMB´s from around the world.
Marie-Thérèse Purvis is a member of the Seychelles Electoral Commission since July 2011. As such she is involved in a major electoral reform process that started in 2012. Prior to this she worked in various capacities for the Seychelles Ministry of Education over twenty years—as principal education officer, director of the teacher training institute and director of the national curriculum centre. She holds a master’s degree in Applied Linguistics from Durham University (UK) and a PhD in Education from Warwick University (UK).
S.Y. Quraishi served as the 17th Chief Election Commissioner of India from 2010–2012. He was the Election Commissioner since 2006. He completed his postgraduate degree in history from St. Stephen's College in Delhi before joining the Indian Administrative Service in 1971. Later he did his doctorate in social marketing. Dr Quraishi is the author of the books Social Marketing for Social Change and An Undocumented Wonder: The Great Indian Election. He has travelled widely to represent India at International conferences and dialogues and has figured in The Indian Express list of 100 Most Powerful Indians of 2011 and 2012 and India Today’s High and Mighty Power List, 2012.
Mohamed Chafik Sarsar is the President of the Independent Higher Authority for Elections in Tunisia. He is a Ph.D. in Public Law, Associate Professor of Public Law at the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences of Tunis (Tunis El Manar University), Director of the Department of Political Science at the Faculty of Law of Tunis (2011-14), and member of the Committee of Experts in the High Commission for the Achievement of the Revolution, Political Reform and Democratic Transition (2011), member of the Commission of Inquiry into the events Place Mohamed Ali (December 2012) Secretary General of the Association of Research on Democratic Transition (2013), and a founding member of the Arab Association of Constitutional Law. He was a lecturer at the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences of Tunis, Higher Judicial Institute, He has authored several publications and contributions in constitutional law and electoral systems. He participated as an expert in shares of the Venice Commission, UNDP, the Arab Institute for Human Rights, Arab Foundation for Democracy, and the Independent High Authority for the Elections.
Luis Antonio Sobrado González is a Licentiate and Doctor of Law from the University of Costa Rica and the Complutense University of Madrid respectively. Incumbent Magistrate of the Supreme Tribunal of Elections (TSE) since 1999. President of the Costa Rican electoral body since 2007. Professor for over 25 years of Constitutional Law at the University of Costa Rica and since 1993, he coordinates that department at the School of Law. He is the Director of the Electoral Law magazine of TSE and he is the author of several books and articles on electoral justice, democracy and elections.
Vincent Tohbi has been with Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Southern Africa (EISA) since 2003. Prior to that he was a consultant in Rwanda for ERIS (Electoral Reforms for International Systems) and NPA (Norwegian People Aid). Responsible for Rwandan NGO networks in election observation and voter education. International consultant to TROCAIRE (Iris-based NGO) for the evaluation of a capacity building and funding programme of Rwandan civil society organizations. In 2004 he was the International consultant to the Norweign people’s aid for the evaluation of the Rwandan electoral process and the involvement of NGO’s in the electoral process and also the EISA Country Director, Democratic Republic of Congo office. Vincent has participated in several election observer missions.
Vasil Vashchanka was a Programme Officer with International IDEA’s Electoral Processes team in 2012–2014. His professional interests include electoral management and electoral justice. Vasil previously worked at the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (2002–2011) as Rule of Law Officer, Adviser, and Deputy Chief of the Rule of Law Unit.
Kåre Vollan is Director and owner of the company Quality AS. He has been working on elections in more than thirty countries and territories, including Nepal, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Iraq, Palestine, Sudan, Armenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since 2006 he has been advising the Election Commission and politicians in Nepal, in particular on the group representation system. In the period 1996 to 2009 he headed twelve OSCE/ODIHR and NORDEM international election observation missions or teams. From 2003 he has drafted opinions on election laws for the Council of Europe Venice Commission. Kåre has been teaching and supervising students in elections and power-sharing issues and he has published a number of articles and reports on electoral and decision- making issues, in particular related to post-conflict situations.
Case Study Authors of the Original Edition
Peter Bartu was a political adviser to the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General HE Terje Roed Larsen to the Middle East Peace Process. He has also worked for the UN in East Timor and Cambodia and for the Australian Prime Minister’s Department and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
Carl W. Dundas is a former Director of Elections in Jamaica and a former Special Adviser (Legal) in the Commonwealth Secretariat, with responsibility for technical assistance in elections matters (1990–2001). He has been an election consultant. He was the Election Consultant for the European Commission in Liberia. Carl is a Barrister-at-Law (Gray’s Inn) and holds a Master of Laws (LL.M) degree from London University, UK.
Ellie Greenwood worked for the UK Electoral Commission, helping to set up and launch the organization when it was established. She helped shaping and implementing the introduction of political finance legislation, as well as looking at policies on encouraging participation.
Rubén Hernández Valle, professor of constitutional law at the University of Costa Rica, and a doctorate professor at the University of Siena, Italy. Having extensive judicial experience, he was a substitute magistrate of the Supreme Court of Justice of Costa Rica. He has authored and/or contributed to many specialized publications on constitutional, judicial, legal and election-related subjects.
Ajay Jha was a member of the Indian Administrative Service with extensive experience and expertise in managing elections at national and provincial levels. He served as Deputy Election Commissioner in the Election Commission of India and headed the team for the conduct of general elections to the national Parliament in 2004 using electronic voting machines in all polling centres.
Claude Kabemba was a chief research manager in the Society, Culture and Identity Research Programme at the Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa. He holds an MA in international relations from the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and was a PhD candidate in international relations at the same university. His main areas of research interest include issues of democratization and governance, election politics, citizen participation, conflicts, the media, political parties, civil society, and social policies.
Robert A. Pastor was the Vice President of International Affairs, Professor of International Relations, and Director of the Center for Democracy and Election Management at the American University in Washington, D.C.
Vijay Patidar was a member of the Indian Administrative Service, and specialized in elections at national and provincial level in India and also internationally. He served as joint Chief Electoral Officer of the state of Madhya Pradesh, as a consultant in the electoral components of four UN peacekeeping missions, and as head of the Elections Team at International IDEA.
Domenico Tuccinardi is an electoral specialist and directed the external registration and voting programmes for the OSCE Mission to Bosnia. As OSCE Deputy Director of Elections in Bosnia he designed the transfer of election administration functions to the newly created Election Commission of Bosnia. He led the European Union project in support of the Iraq transitional elections and was Deputy Chief Observer for the EU Observation Mission in Venezuela. He holds a law degree and an MA in international law.
Reproduced by permission of International IDEA from Electoral Management Design: The International IDEA Handbook © 2014 International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance The electronic version of this publication is made available under a Creative Commons Attribute-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) licence. You are free to copy, distribute and transmit the publication, and to remix and adapt it, provided it is only for non-commercial purposes, that you appropriately attribute the publication and that you distribute it under an identical license. For more information on this licence see: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0 .
