ACE Electoral News

ACE Electoral News

Dates announced for India state polls, BBC News (2011)

This article reports on the announcement of the dates for the state elections in India. Elections in four states and one union territory will be held from April 4 to May 10. The Election Commission states that West Bengal will be the most troubled elections, and that political violence will be a major problem there.

India: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry go to the polls on April 13, The Hindu (2011)

This article reports on the elections in India. Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi, announced the schedule for the Assembly elections on Tuesday. Counting will probably be taken up on May 13. The new model code of conduct has come into effect and it will be applicable during the polls.

India: 14 crore eligible to vote in coming polls, The Hindu (2011)

This article reports on the elections in India: the Election Commission just announced elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry. This will be the biggest electoral event after the 2009 Lok Sabha poll: the EC is setting up 1,51,357 polling stations, as 14,39,34,039 people are registered as eligible voters.

India: 150 million can vote in April-May, Sify (2011)

This article discusses the scale of the upcoming State elections in India. About 150 million people will be eligible to vote in the elections scheduled for April-May. According to the statistics provided by the Election Commission, West Bengal will account for the maximum of 56 million voters followed by Tamil Nadu (45.9 million), Kerala (22.9 million), Assam (18.1 million) and Puducherry (8 million).

Ireland: All change in Dáil as work begins on new seating plan, The Irish Times (2011)

This article reports on the outcomes of the February elections in Ireland. Next Wednesday, the 31st Dáil will sit, and the new government will probably have the biggest majority of TDs ever.

Nigerian Parties to Receive Voters List Ahead of April Elections Voanews (2011)

In Nigeria the final voters’ list is ready, out 150 million people there were 68 million who were registered. The final voters list will send to the political parties in order for them to plan their campaign. The INEC says that this final version of the list will ensure free and fair elections.

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Swaziland: EBC blames CSOs for inadequate civic education, Times of Swaziland (2013)

In this article, the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) blames the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) for the inadequate civic education prior to this year’s national elections. This comes after different International Observer groups pointed the inadequacy in the recent elections.

Swaziland: Election observers slam new electoral laws, The Swazi Observer (2013)

In this article, SADC Lawyers Association (SADC-LA) questions Swaziland legal framework governing the elections. The six electoral laws, received Royal assent just weeks before the elections.

Madagascar: Rajoelina will not stand in election, News24 (2013)

In this article, Madagascar strongman, Andry Rajoelina says he would not stand in a presidential election next month. It is expected that the country will hold the election on 25 October 2013.

Palestine: Fatah links gov't formation to progress in elections file: official, People's Daily Online (2012)

In this news article; Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party wants progress to be made on the preparation for elections before an interim government is formed, an official said Tuesday 21 Feb. Abbas will not start discussions to select members of his government before he agrees with rival Hamas movement "on practical steps," said Jamal Muhissen, a member of Fatah Central Committee.

Bahamas:McCartney wants FNM, PLP to declare party financiers, The Nassau Guardian (2011)

The leader of Bahamas' newest political party, Democratic National Alliance (DNA), is challenging the two major political parties to declare their party financiers, on the premise that they may be receiving funds from Chinese investors.

Bahamas:General Election Register forecasted to be between 160 -170,000, Bahamas Weekly (2011)

The Parliamentary Registration Department estimates that between 160,000 to 170,000 Bahamians will register for the next General Elections. Efforts are also being made to increase the accuracy of the register.

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Commentary: 'Riot Act' Talk in Guyana, Trinidad Express, 2011

Columnist examines reports of threatened violence should the ruling People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) return to power.

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New Zealand: New election agency now operating, Radio New Zealand (2010)

The new Electoral Commission which combines the functions of the Chief Electoral Office and the previous Electoral Commission is operational with its first test at the Mana by-election.

Guam: In-office voting begins today, Pacific Daily News (2010)

Registered voters in Guam do not have to wait until November 2 but can cast their ballots now as the in-office voting has already started since 10a.m. today.

Women in Parliament and Politics in the UAE: A Study of the First Federal National Council Elections, Dubai School of Government (2009)

This study shows that the growth of women’s participation in parliaments worldwide is still notably low and, in response, the majority of governments have introduced policy measures to redress the gender imbalance. In the United Arab Emirates, a country that recently initiated an electoral parliamentary process, elections were held in 2006 and included women as both voters and candidates for the first time. This historical juncture provides a timely opportunity for analyzing the entry of women into parliamentary life in the UAE, and to contribute to the global debate on closing the political gender gap. Based on interviews with members of the Federal National Council, surveys of the opinions of male and female candidates who participated in the UAE elections, and archival material from the election campaigns, this study investigates key themes in the nature of women’s roles in the political process. The findings of this study demonstrate commonalities between the experiences of both male and female politicians, as well as critical gender-specific challenges. Key recommendations based on the findings include continued support of government for a more inclusive political process, quality training for candidates and parliamentarians, closing the gender gap in citizenship status, and strengthening the role of the Federal National Council.

Women in Politics: Quotas, Voter Attitudes and Female Leadership, Dubai School of Government (2009)

This policy brief is about gender quotas which are increasingly being used throughout the world as a policy tool to improve women’s participation in politics. While in many cases these policies have succeeded in increasing the number of women politicians, there is a lack of evidence on how exposure to women leaders impacts the beliefs of the average voter. In order to determine the causal effect of affirmative action policies on voter attitudes and electoral outcomes, a study in West Bengal uses a novel approach to look at the effect of mandated reservation in Indian village councils. The study takes advantage of the fact that villages were randomly assigned the reservation policy, and uses speeches and vignettes experiments as well as Implicit Association Tests (IATs) to analyze this issue. The results suggest that repeated exposure to women leaders reduces voter bias against them, and that repeated reservation significantly improves electoral outcomes in the medium term.