Electoral training
and information refer to the building of understanding, knowledge, skills and
capacities of different electoral actors in relation to electoral processes.
Voter information aims to disseminate relevant information about the electoral
process to voters. As a general rule, training is provided to all who have
specific tasks in respect to implementation, security, observation or reporting
on electoral processes. Given the complexity and sensitivity of electoral
processes, it is of great importance that all actors are acquainted with the
procedures and have relevant, timely and accurate information, in particular
about the registration and polling and counting processes. When elections are
organized in conflict-prone societies, electoral training and information
should also enhance the awareness and sensitivity of electoral officials,
security sector agencies and civil society groups with respect to specific
electoral risks and prevention and mitigation strategies. Training and
information efforts should be maintained throughout the electoral cycle.
|
Table 3.
Training and information |
|
A. Improved electoral management and justice |
B. Improved electoral security |
C. Improved infrastructure for peace |
- Ensure that the
training for election officials is of a high standard and timely.
- Provide
electoral training at the national and sub-national level to political party
representatives, the media, CSOs and electoral observers.
- Design and
conduct a timely voter information campaign that is gender-sensitive and
far-reaching in respect to diversity and citizens with special needs.
|
- Conduct
electoral training for security sector agencies to enhance and build
understanding of the electoral process, the roles and rights of electoral
actors, and electoral offences.
- Reinforce
security sector agencies’ professional standards.
|
- Ensure that all
non-state actors which form an integral part of the national infrastructure
for peace are familiarized with electoral processes, including timelines,
procedures and operational details.
- Train the
conflict mediation personnel at the level of local communities.
- Design and
implement electoral training, information and education activities targeting
high-risk areas.
|
A. Improved electoral management
and justice
Election officials
should undertake continuous professional development programmes. During an
election year, EMBs will engage a large number of temporary staff to conduct
voter registration or to perform polling and/or counting duties. In some
countries it is customary to engage public servants to act as polling station
and counting officials. In others, temporary staff are recruited for this
purpose. Newly recruited officials may not have prior experience or
understanding about electoral processes and therefore require intensive
training. New electoral rules and regulations will increase the training needs
of experienced personnel. An EMB should also provide training to other
stakeholders, such as political parties, the media and civil society
organizations, who engage in observing or reporting about electoral processes.
Furthermore, an EMB should ensure that all citizens are well informed about
timelines and procedures through a far-reaching information campaign. These
measures will help avoid technical problems that may harm the credibility of
electoral processes, raise tensions and lead to violence.
- Ensure that the training for election officials is of
high standard and timely
Training of electoral
officials entails training in procedures and standards of professional conduct.[1]
Adequate knowledge and skills reduce the likelihood of procedural mistakes
being made. Training can be implemented at two levels. For permanent electoral
officials, training should be a part of professional development. The most
comprehensive professional development course is the Building Resources in
Democracy, Governance and Elections (BRIDGE) project.[2]
Training for the temporary staff should be implemented before they are assigned
to do specific electoral work. Depending on their specific role, training
topics may include registration of voters, political parties and independent
candidates, and observers; external voting; polling and counting; electoral
security; human rights, including gender-participation; conflict resolution;
and so on. The training methodology for temporary staff may involve cascade
training which can be multiplied at different levels so that it is more
cost-effective, and it is possible to train a large number of staff members.[3]
The Mexican EMB, the Instituto Federal Electoral
(IFE), ensures high-quality training for randomly selected polling station
officials. Mexican elections are highly contested, and the winning margins between
presidential candidates were very narrow during the general elections in 2006
and 2012. Such outcomes have raised tensions and led to street protests in
2006.[4]
Large-scale recounts were undertaken by the IFE to ensure that the credibility
of the election results was upheld in 2012. In this context, it is critical that
election officials in charge of the polling and counting processes perform well
and impartially. The IFE therefore puts much effort and resources into ensuring
that polling station officers, who are drawn at random from the voter register,
and without the intervention of any political party, are properly instructed
and trained.[5]
The most important thing is to ensure the credibility of each of the polling
stations.[6]
The training programme has a cascade scheme. The electoral supervisors (ESs)
and the electoral assistant trainers (EATs) are selected, hired and trained at
the district level. The ESs coordinate, support and verify the electoral
training and assistance activities implemented by the EATs. The EATs
inform selected citizens about their assignments and duties and train them in
the polling and counting procedures. Furthermore, EATs are responsible for the
proper installation and functioning of the polling stations. The ESs are hired
for five months and the EATs for around two weeks.[7]
- Provide electoral training at the national and
sub-national level to political party representatives, the media, CSOs and
electoral observers
Political parties have high
stakes in electoral processes and are therefore greatly interested in following
different electoral activities in order to verify their quality and integrity.
Civil society organizations and other national and international actors may
also be interested in observing different electoral activities. Furthermore,
journalists are involved in providing media coverage of electoral processes. To
avoid misunderstandings, tensions, unfounded complaints and sensationalist
media reporting, an EMB should organize training for the key external
stakeholders. This type of training can be tailored to address the needs of the
specific stakeholder. Among other things, it can include topics about electoral
rights and duties, technical procedures, dispute resolution mechanisms, gender
equality and participation, diversity perspectives in electoral processes and
so on.
The National Election Commission conducts
extensive training for external actors ahead of the 2010 general elections in
Sudan. Following the peace agreement between the government of Sudan and the
People’s Liberation Movement in 2005, Sudan organized its first multiparty
elections in 2010. Ahead of the elections, the National Election Commission
(NEC), supported by the UNDP, organized an extensive training programme for
political party representatives, female political candidates, state
prosecutors, representatives from civil society organizations, journalists and
electoral observers.[8]
About 140 political party agents attended a training workshop on their roles
during polling. Specific topics included parallel vote tabulation, polling
regulations and the importance of monitoring. Workshops for female political
candidates were organized in five states in northern Sudan with a focus on
campaigning, agenda setting, and intimidation and violence.[9]
- Design and conduct a timely voter information campaign
that is gender-sensitive and far-reaching in respect to diversity and citizens
with special needs
Voter information is provided
by electoral management bodies. The aim is to provide relevant information
about electoral processes to citizens. This information primarily includes
details on when, where and how to register and vote. Sometimes voter
information may encompass elements of voter education and address issues
relating to human rights, such as the rights to elect representatives freely,
to gender equality, and to freedom from harassment and intimidation.[10]
It is also useful to inform voters on how to submit electoral complaints.
In conducting an information campaign, an EMB may benefit from partnership with
civil society groups. Information and educational activities should be designed
to reach remote communities and overcome language, literacy and disability
barriers.
A far-reaching voter information and education
campaign is organized in Yemen prior to the 2006 elections. During the 2001
local council elections in Yemen, 67 people were killed and more than 100
wounded.[11]
Ahead of the 2006 elections, the Supreme Commission for Elections and
Referendum (SCER), with the support of the UNDP, the National Democratic
Institute (NDI), the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and
other international assistance providers, implemented a national voter
information and education campaign in order to increase citizens’ information,
participation and confidence in the election. This included the use of radio
and television and the production and dissemination of a range of printed
materials, including booklets, posters, stickers, banners, fact sheets and taxi
advertising. The information included electoral laws/rights, election logistics
and the importance of participation among marginalized groups such as women,
ethnic minorities, young people and persons with disabilities.[12]
The outreach activities were directed at communities living in rural areas who
lacked access to traditional sources of voter education information such as
radio or television. Twenty CSOs conducted face-to-face campaigning. The aim
was to enable citizens to make informed decisions about the registration and
election day processes and to provide them with accurate, culturally sensitive
and timely information about these processes. This gave marginalized groups,
especially in rural locations, an opportunity to obtain electoral information
in a simple format and receive immediate answers to their questions.[13]
An
inclusive and collaborative voter education campaign was implemented in Myanmar
for the 2015 elections. The 2015 elections in Myanmar represented a historic step in the country’s
transition from five-decades of military dictatorship to a civilian-led
government. While this democratic transition was simultaneously evolving with
the country’s ongoing peace process, observers were concerned about possible
tensions as 92 political parties vied for seats in the national and
state/regional legislatures. The Union Election Commission (UEC) implemented a
nationwide voter education campaign designed to include voters that were viewed
as traditionally marginalized and worked collaboratively with civil society
organizations to reach voters throughout the country. The campaign was based on
conflict assessments and national survey data so as to accurately respond to
how voters received information and what information voters needed prior to
election day. The materials were developed to be culturally sensitive,
reflecting Myanmar’s diverse population, and were translated into 16 different
ethnic languages.
B. Improved electoral security
Electoral training
for the security sector personnel will contribute to their professionalism and
sensitivity when engaging during elections. A curriculum that could be used to
train police in electoral security practices may include the following topics:
(a) the nature of the electoral legislation and an overview of the
electoral process; (b) the role of the police in supporting the democratic
process; (c) human rights issues in relation to the police’s role;
(d) the police’s role in an election; (e) security objectives and
strategy in relation to the election; (f) the standards of professional,
neutral and non-intimidating conduct to be upheld by police forces during the
election; (g) contact mechanisms and liaison details (on an as-needed
basis) between the electoral commission and police forces; (h) details of
specific offences against electoral laws; and (i) details of other laws
such as those regarding public gatherings that will have an impact on police
planning.[14]
In particular, training should focus on an enhanced understanding of the roles
and responsibilities of electoral actors, electoral offences and professional
standards.
- Conduct electoral training for security sector agencies
to enhance and build understanding of the electoral process, the roles and
rights of electoral actors, and electoral offences
In addition to having clarity
about their roles and mandates during elections, security officers need to be
aware of the roles and mandates of other stakeholders, including elected
officials, political party candidates and election observers. Security
personnel should be able to understand voters’ rights and electoral offences
and be able to differentiate between sensitive and non-sensitive materials.
Training should be intended for the leadership as well as national and local
security personnel.[15]
Training will have the greatest impact when all relevant national
institutions are involved in its planning and implementation and when it is
organized well in advance of elections.[16]
The Georgian Central Election Commission (CEC) and
Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) formally coordinate the training of police
on their roles during the electoral process for the October 2018 presidential
election. For the third
election in a row, the CEC and MIA signed a memorandum of understanding on
electoral security outlining their coordination of communication and activities
including training. This cooperation was brought about through encouragement
from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) during its
“Enabling a Peaceful Environment to Administer Credible Elections” (ePeace)
training program which provides police and election management bodies with
improved knowledge of the security challenges unique to elections and the
skills to more effectively play their roles in the electoral process.[17]
This training resulted in the first memorandum of understanding for the 2016
national parliamentary elections.
Large-scale electoral security training is
implemented ahead of the Ghanaian general elections in 2012. Ghana
experienced a peaceful transition of power after the 2008 general elections.
However, the capacity of the police to respond to election-related violence
remained a concern.[18]
Prior to the 2012 general elections, the UK Department for International
Development (DFID) supported the national electoral security training programme
that was implemented in all ten regions of the country using a
train-the-trainer methodology. Approximately 16,000 security officers from the
Ghanaian police, the fire service, and the prisons and immigration services
were trained. The training was designed to acquaint the officers with the
electoral laws, public order management and intelligence gathering in order to
prevent election-related violence from occurring. The training in public order
management was designed to assist in effective and professional handling of
crowd-related violence and introduced international standards of policing to
ensure peaceful and violence-free elections. The training included field and
simulation exercises on problem solving related to election violence.[19]
Security sector agencies, together with the
Election Commission of Ghana, conduct an election security exercise ahead of
the 2012 general elections. Some parts of Ghana experienced election-related violence during the 2012
general elections, including assaults, shootings and arson.[20] A
simulation exercise covering election day operations, including election
security, was undertaken in the city of Ho shortly before the 2012 general
elections. The Volta Regional Task Force, together with the Election Commission
of Ghana and the National Commission for Civic Education, coordinated the
exercise. It was focused on the escorting of election materials and simulations
in which the police had to foil the ‘snatching of ballot boxes’ and detain
suspects.[21]
Similar simulation exercises were conducted in other parts of the country to
demonstrate the readiness of the security agencies ahead of election day.[22]
- Reinforce security sector agencies’ professional
standards
Training for security sector
agencies should emphasize professional standards and values that sustain the
democratic nature of electoral processes and SSAs’ own legitimacy. These include
neutrality, transparency, consistency in the application of the law and
non-intimidating behaviour, as well as cooperation with other electoral actors.[23]
In addition to training, police officers can be provided with a pocket book
that contains all relevant instructions relating to professional standards when
engaging in electoral processes.
The Ugandan police and Electoral Commission work
together to produce professional guidelines for the conduct of election day. During its
general elections in 2006, Uganda experienced incidents of election-related
violence involving the police and the main opposition party following the
rejection of the election results.[24] Ahead
of the 2011 general elections in Uganda, the police force, with the support of
the Electoral Commission and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner
for Human Rights, provided pocket-sided ‘guidelines for law enforcement
officials during the national elections’ to police officers.[25]
The document sets out the professional standards for security officials with an
emphasis on political neutrality and discipline. References were made to the
constitution and the electoral legal framework with an emphasis on the rule of
law and human rights, as well as law enforcement standards. In addition, the
document provided information on the responsibility of the Electoral Commission
in managing the elections.
C. Improved infrastructure for
peace
The capacity of different
non-state and state actors to engage effectively in the prevention and mitigation
of election-related violence may be contingent on their understanding of the
legal and operational aspects of electoral processes. These actors should
therefore be acquainted with the election rules and regulations. This can be
achieved through training initiatives implemented in collaboration with
electoral management bodies at the national and sub-national level. Once
familiarized with electoral processes, these organizations may be well
positioned to engage in designing and implementing conflict-sensitive electoral
training, and information and education programmes for communities that
experience conflicts and for women and other marginalized groups.
- Ensure that
all non-state actors which form an integral part of the national infrastructure
for peace are familiarized with electoral processes, including timelines,
procedures, and operational plans.
The national infrastructures
for peace may include actors with extensive experience in conflict prevention
and resolution, such as peace builders, mediators, reconciliation experts and
similar organizations. However, conflict prevention practitioners may lack a
good understanding of the operational and legal aspects of electoral processes
and the specifics relating to electoral security. To apply their skills in
electoral processes effectively and contribute in the prevention and mitigation
of election-related violence, these agencies need capacity-building training in
electoral issues. This training can be implemented with the support of an EMB
and security sector agencies at the national and sub-national level.
The Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy (EISA) trains
conflict mediators on electoral processes in Kenya ahead of the 2013 General
Elections[26]. The violence that flared up after the
presidential elections in Kenya in 2007 provides the background to this effort
to build the capacity of peacebuilding actors to mediate election-related
conflicts. EISA conducts such trainings since the inception of its Election
Conflict Management Panels in South Africa in 1999.[27]
If needed, the training aims to improve conflict resolution and mitigation
skills, on the one hand, addressing psychosocial dimensions of conflicts. On
the other hand, the sessions inform participants about the legal framework and
the procedures of elections in the respective country.
- Train the
conflict mediation personnel at the level of local communities
Effective conflict prevention
and resolution can take different forms in different societies. In some
national contexts, conflict prevention and resolution at the local level may
benefit from the traditional dispute resolution mechanisms and institutions
that involve traditional leaders, such as traditional chiefs or reputable
individuals. Religious institutions in particular may have an infrastructure
that enables access to different communities. Cooperation with traditional
leaders in the area of voter education may be very effective. Cultural
sensitivity as well as respect and appreciation for their contribution are
central to making such cooperation work. At the same time, if cultural and
religious organizations practise exclusivity and intolerance, additional
measures to promote dialogue and social cohesion will be needed.[28]
Mediation training is organized in the context
of Guinea’s 2010 presidential elections. In 2010, Guinea organized the first free
presidential elections since independence in 1958. Ahead of the election,
mediation training workshops were organized in different parts of the country.[29]
participants represented civil society organizations, women and youth groups,
elders and religious leaders, political parties, the election commission and
the security sector forces. The workshops allowed the participants to
familiarize themselves with the electoral legislative framework, conflict
analysis, the electoral cycle, and mediation techniques and methods. Lessons
learned from Kenya, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo were
presented by experts from International Alert, Swisspeace, and the Electoral
Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA).[30]
Practical training methods such as role play were also used. Some reports
suggest that the mediation training did help to de-escalate conflicts and stop
them becoming violent in a number of cases around the country before, during
and after election day.[31]
Equipping society to demand peaceful elections
in Bangladesh. While most Bangladeshi citizens desire more peaceful elections, violence
is so prevalent that it has come to be accepted and tolerated as a natural part
of politics. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)
conducted the People Against Violence in Elections (PAVE) training and peace
initiative for over 1,000 political and civil society leaders to build their
capacity to engage in community-level peacebuilding around elections. PAVE
equips these leaders – including political party advocates, elected
representatives, women’s leaders, journalists and students – with the skills to
understand election violence, engage in cross-party collaboration on
conflict-related issues, and implement peacebuilding that creates public demand
for peaceful and violence-free elections. Participants worked together to
create a network of “Peace Ambassadors” (Shani Dut Gon) through which they
conducted community-level advocacy both within their core communities and
across political, demographic, religious, and other lines; implemented
grassroots peacebuilding activities which created opportunities to build
consensus; and fostered dialogue between civil society, political parties and
law enforcement representatives, among other electoral stakeholders.[32]
- Design and
implement electoral training, information and education activities targeting
high-risk areas
Civil society organizations
are well positioned to work with EMBs and implement programmes relating to
electoral training, information and education at the grass-roots level. The
added value of such work may be particularly visible when it is done in regions
that face increased inter/intra-communal tensions and gender-based violence and
discrimination.
Civil society promotes civic education in
conflict-prone areas of West and East Africa. The participants in the Tostan human
rights-based education programme receive civic education to organize drama
events for entire villages in order to disseminate messages on election
procedures. Furthermore, Tostan participants organize radio broadcasts on a
range of civic education issues with a conflict and violence prevention
potential. This has been the case in various countries such as the Gambia,
Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, and Somalia, where Tostan has
been operating during election periods and beyond through its Community
Empowerment Programme.[33]
[17] “A well-trained and
disciplined security sector, coupled with an institutionalized, legitimate and
effective electoral administration body, tends to create the largest reductions
in election-related violence.” Claes, Jonas, and Geoffrey Macdonald. “Findings
and Conclusion.” Electing Peace: Violence Prevention and Impact at the Polls,
United States Institute of Peace Press, 2016.
[26] EISA Kenya: Conflict Management.
– Available at <https://www.eisa.org.za/index.php/iiec-and-stakeholders/
[27] Gillies, David (ed.) (2011):
Elections in Dangerous Places: Democracy and the Paradoxes of Peace-building.
Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press, pp. 100-102.
[32] International
Foundation for Electoral Systems, ‘People Against Violence in Election in
Bangladesh’, 16 April 2015, <available at
http://www.ifes.org/news/people-against-violence-elections-bangladesh>, accessed
20 May 2017
