Office of Democracy & Governance: Elections and Political Processes
 Free and fair elections are indispensable to democracy, but elections alone do not yield democracy. Although other elements of democracy can develop before competitive elections are held, a country can not be truly democratic until its citizens have the regular opportunity to choose their representatives.
Elections can be a democracy-building tool to take advantage of political openings and expand political participation. In recent years, elections have been a principal vehicle for democratization, as authoritarian governments increasingly have fallen to democratic forces. Electoral campaigns also tend to foster political liberalization. For an election to be free and fair, certain civil liberties, such as freedoms of speech, association, and assembly are required. Elections offer political parties and civic groups an opportunity to mobilize and organize supporters and share alternative platforms with the public.
Elections are also increasingly seen as a step towards resolving conflict following years of civil war. Armed movements have often agreed to put down weapons in exchange for the opportunity to contest power in fair elections.
Electoral Challenges
USAID programs are designed to help ensure that elections are competitive and reflect the will of an informed citizenry, and that political institutions are representative and responsive. In countries where an election can help spur or accelerate a transition to democracy, the institutional capacity to carry out elections is often weak. Election commissions may not yet exist or they may lack the technical capacity or political will to administer a fair election. Electoral laws may be antiquated and require major revisions. Legislators drafting a new law may lack sufficient knowledge of electoral systems and practices.
In such countries, citizens will likely be unaware of their rights and responsibilities as voters and political participants. They may be unfamiliar with the mechanics of voting or the range of parties and candidates from which they can choose. Independent civic groups, if any exist, will lack the resources to educate citizens and press for democratic reforms.
Some countries have held a series of widely accepted elections, but nonetheless have failed to develop representative political institutions for a variety of reasons. Political parties in countries across the globe are viewed as distant, elite organizations unable or unwilling to articulate or represent most citizens’ concerns. Many are personality-based or lack the organizational capacity to campaign nationwide, present ideologically compatible candidates, and recruit and train poll watchers.
Women and ethnic and religious groups are often excluded from political participation. Newly elected officials frequently need training and other support to effectively staff, administer, and oversee government agencies and fulfill their roles as representatives in a democratic system.
After much experience, USAID has refined its ability to address these issues. The job involves pre-election assessments; training election commissioners, elected officials, poll watchers and local and international observers; buying and producing election equipment from ballot boxes to the ballots themselves; helping governments and citizens develop civic education programs; and planning how to protect and count the ballots as quickly as possible. It is a big job—transferring skills and new values—for which many transitional countries are minimally prepared.
Because USAID strives to support electoral events as part of a broader political picture, pre-election and post-election assistance is also emphasized as part of a long-term strategy to ensure that reforms are sustainable. The DG Office therefore focuses on strengthening electoral commissions, political parties, civic groups, and newly elected government bodies in order to promote long-term institutional development.
Regional Initiatives
The DG Office also supports regional programs to permit the exchange of information and experiences among countries. For example, Center assistance to IFES has led to the creation of regional associations of election officials in Asia, Eastern Europe and the Caribbean. These associations are designed to promote the professionalization of election administrators and create networks between electoral commissions.
Information Sharing
The DG Office also helps to finance projects designed to disseminate information on successful democratization strategies for donors and practitioners. Among the best examples is an electronic publication containing 5000 pages of information to assist election administrators to conduct free and fair elections in a cost-effective manner. The Administration and Cost of Elections (ACE) project was developed by IFES, the UN, and the Stockholm-based International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.
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