International Foundation for Electoral Systems

Our vision is democracy for a better future. Our mission is, "Together we build democracies that deliver for all."

We collaborate with civil society, public institutions and the private sector to build resilient democracies that deliver for everyone. As the global leader in the promotion and protection of democracy, our technical assistance and applied research develops trusted electoral bodies capable of conducting credible elections; effective and accountable governing institutions; civic and political processes in which all people can safely and equally participate; and innovative ways in which technology and data can positively serve elections and democracy.

For over 30 years, IFES has provided support for the growth of democracy around the world, while also working to guard against democratic reversals. Our work is underpinned by expert technical assistance to election management bodies (EMBs), legislatures, judiciaries, human rights institutions, anti-corruption bodies, and civil society; our approach focuses on making and sustaining democratic reforms that strengthen inclusive participation for all people, promote transparency and accountability, and ensure effective service delivery.

Our capabilities include:

-Strengthening rules-based democracies
-Technical assistance for electoral management and leadership
-Tackling corruption in electoral and political processes
-Capacity development and civil society engagement for good governance
-Advancing the meaningful participation all people in public life
-Promoting secure and safe electoral environments, particularly amidst COVID-19
-Media and technology that support - not degrade - democracy
-Rigorous global analysis, research and innovation

Since 1987, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) has trained over 1 million poll workers; reached over 205 million people with civic and voter education; and released hundreds of publications for practitioners and decision-makers on election integrity, election dispute resolution, money and politics, election technologies, civil and voter registers, strategic planning for democratic institutions, and advancing democracy and elections during COVID-19. To give just a few examples of our successes:

-IFES builds the capacity of electoral institutions and officials to address emerging challenges and win public trust. Our work is underpinned by cutting-edge research and analysis; for example, IFES conducted Somalia, Sudan and Venezuela assessments that identify key threats to the integrity of future elections and propose recommendations to ensure their legitimacy.

-Pervasive corruption undermines political, judicial and electoral processes, and can have political, security and economic implications. With funding from the U.S. Department of State, IFES has partnered with domestic stakeholders and influencers in Bulgaria, Montenegro and Romania to identify, prioritize and create action plans to tackle anticorruption reform recommendations.

-IFES promotes political participation, justice and equal rights for all people, including women; persons with disabilities; youth; ethnic and religious minorities; internally displaced persons; and indigenous communities. In Myanmar, IFES’ She Leads program has empowered women to become leaders at all levels of their communities.

-Increasingly, technology and social media are abused by malign actors to undermine democracy and electoral systems. IFES is crafting creative, proactive solutions, with a new election technology and cyber-hygiene course; innovative research on Social Media, Disinformation and Electoral Integrity; and partnerships with technology companies via the Technology for Democracy (T4D) Fund (e.g., IFES and Facebook worked together to identify hate speech and disinformation in Ukraine’s 2019 elections).

IFES' work is never done, and there is still much left to accomplish. For the first time in nearly two decades, a majority of countries – 92 according to the V-Dem 2020 Democracy Report – are characterized as autocracies. This “third wave of autocratization” has affected even regions long assumed to be democratic strongholds. Now, the COVID-19 crisis has created new opportunities for would-be authoritarians to further cement their hold on government structures and erode the protection of human rights.

The world is changing, and IFES is changing with it. In 2019 we embarked on an ambitious strategic planning process. The resulting vision, mission, values and
strategic outcomes reflect our institutional learning and unique understanding of what is required to deliver credible elections and responsive governance in this unprecedented era.