History
Voter education has a tradition that is as long and as brief as the conduct of modern elections. Civic education, on the other hand, has antecedents in both the development of ancient democracy and state formation.
Universal education in the modern, democratic state was itself intended to promote and support democracy. Those waging campaigns for extension of the franchise also conducted public information and education programmes. The League of Women Voters in the United States, for example, retains a strong, non-partisan programme to ensure that voters make informed political choices.
Voter education has long been the domain of electoral management authorities. More recently, however, organisations active in educating and mobilizing voters, as well as broader issues of citizenship and democracy, have become more diversified. Today, those interested and involved in voter education come from a broad range of backgrounds.
Some may have a background in electoral administration. Others may have experience in civic education, public advocacy, conflict resolution, mass communication, training, or primary, secondary, advanced or adult education. Some may have worked extensively with special constituencies such as youth, the elderly, the handicapped, ethnic or linguistic minorities, or women. Their backgrounds are likely to influence the approach, style, content and audience of the voter education programmes with which they are involved.
The discussion about differing approaches and the implications of this can be found in the general section Civic Education. The manner in which educators' differing backgrounds and values can impact voter education programmes can be found under Educator Values.
The context in which education is done
Social and political context within which an election or a referendum takes place has a fundamental impact on the voter education programme that supports it. Any voter education initiative will be heavily influenced by the history and socio-political environment within which it is planned and implemented.
There are methodologies that are generally relevant and the selection of which may be determined as much by educational goals and ideology as by local context. At the same time, however, there will be goals determined primarily by the context. This is especially true when the goals are closely linked to the political and electoral environment.
Unfortunately, not all voter education materials available for reference make explicit the circumstances under which they were developed. The inclusion of such information could make these materials more useful, and might even provoke the use of existing materials in similar contexts even if these are separated in time and geography.
Established Democracies
In established democracies that have traditions of periodic elections, there are considerable differences in approach to voter education. Both Australia and Canada have long-standing and substantial voter education programmes that run not only at the time of elections, but also throughout the year. In some European countries, voter education activities are conducted primarily by civil society .organisations. In India, a vibrant and highly partisan political environment sustains interest in elections.
In the United States of America, voter education and mobilization is carried out by a variety of entities including state level election authorities, media outlets (for example MTV's Rock the Vote campaign), and a host of civil society organisations, special interest groups, professional associations and unions (including the AFL-CIO), and political parties. Some of these may be considered political or advocacy organisations rather than nonpartisan voter educators, but others have a proud history of registering and educating voters and of 'getting out the vote.'
Transitions to Democracy
A large number of countries have experienced the establishment of a democratic order for the first time, or a return to democracy after a period of autocratic rule. Invariably the first, or 'founding', election, has been characterized by substantial political mobilization. Due to substantial systemic, legal, and procedural changes that occur during founding elections and during the subsequent election cycles, voter education is extremely important. When the international community has been involved in supporting the transition, investments are often made in voter education and election administration.
This investment has come in the form of technical assistance, support to the election management authority and to domestic civil society organisations, and the sharing of materials and resources through training. In some cases this has resulted in the establishment of local institutions that are sustainable. But there are also circumstances where it has not been possible to sustain local institutions dedicated to educating voters and maintaining citizen participation.
Rebuilding Failed States and Establishing New States
The collapse of states as a result of their own conflicts, or the decision by leaders, citizens, and the international community to recognise new state boundaries, places particular burdens on those who must assist in the development of these states. In some cases, referenda have been held before new boundaries have been established, and subsequently there have been elections for new assemblies at national and local levels.
Typically, the international community has been involved in these processes with an integrated programme that includes voter and citizenship education. Inevitably, these must go hand in hand with building new institutions and protecting and encouraging of civil society. Apart from traditional voter education and information components, an integrated programme may also address leadership, tolerance, conflict resolution, and the principles of democracy.
General Lessons
Although expectations within the international community and locally have been high, the experience of the past decade has made it clear that voter education and broader democracy building activities require a long-term effort. This means the creation or enhancement of local capacity and the encouragement of regional support must be complementary to each other.
For voter and civic education initiatives to be successful, they must be accompanied by the establishment of sustainable democratic institutions including viable political parties, functioning assemblies, a culture of good governance, constitutional protections backed by an independent judiciary, an impartial election authority capable of conducting periodic elections, and an effective state.
In such an environment, citizens can exercise their rights and can be educated in their roles and responsibilities, including participation in elections. In less conducive circumstances, other educational goals may be necessary.
