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The Legal Quagmire of Postponing or Modifying Elections
Amidst the uncertainty of COVID-19, many countries are grappling with how to modify election procedures to minimize the risk of transmission or change the system for voting completely to avoid the need for voters to go to the polls. While important and often necessary, these decisions are far from simple. IFES has compiled a list of legal elements to consider in relation to election postponements and modifications.
News & Updates
Feature
Elections and COVID-19 – What We Learned from Ebola
In an op-ed for Devex, IFES' Anthony Banbury shares lessons learned from the Ebola crisis as guidance for holding elections and averting a democracy crisis during COVID-19.
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Feature
Emergency Powers and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Protecting Democratic Guardrails
Without a strong foundation for democratic resilience, a global health crisis can shock democratic institutions and offer a blank check to governments to use emergency powers to curtail political rights. IFES has identified four indicators that help to understand whether state actions during this time are “limited to the extent strictly required by the exigencies of the situation.”
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Low Voter Turnouts, Fear, Disinformation and Disrupted Supply Chains: How Election Commissions Are Unprepared for COVID-19
All electoral activities planned for the near future will be affected one way or another by the COVID-19 pandemic. Election commissions need sound advice and technical assistance to navigate the complexity of each election context, coordinate with the relevant health authorities, consider all relevant public health and political factors, and make sensible decisions to safeguard voters and electoral processes.
News & Updates
Feature
Message from President and CEO Tony Banbury: IFES’ Response to Coronavirus
Read IFES President and CEO Anthony Banbury's message about the impact of the novel coronavirus crisis and how IFES is responding.
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Feature
Ethiopia Holds Referendum to Determine Statehood for Sidama Zone
Residents of Ethiopia's Sidama Zone voted in a referendum for regional autonomy on November 20. With results demonstrating that approximately 98.5 percent voted in support of statehood, Sidama will be the first new state since the establishment of the current nine-state federation in the 1990s.
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Bougainville Referendum Results Announced
Voting in the Bougainville referendum concluded with the announcement of results on December 11. A majority of voters selected independence, at 97.7 percent of the vote. While the referendum is not outcome-determining, the results will contribute to bilateral negotiations between the Autonomous Bougainville Government and Papua New Guinea Government.
News & Updates
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Manatt Fellow Presents on Election Dispute Resolution in Africa
In September 2019, IFES Manatt Fellow Tinashe Hofisi presented on presidential election petitions in Kenya, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe at the 14th Annual Symposium of the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa. He highlighted the unique jurisdictional tools available to apex courts in adjudication of presidential elections and their effect on judicial outcomes.
News & Updates
Feature
Manatt Fellow Presents on Presidential Election Petitions in Africa
From October 30-November 1, 2019, IFES participated in the Fourth African Judicial Dialogue in Uganda. IFES Manatt Fellow Tinashe Hofisi presented his paper on presidential election petitions in Kenya, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
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Memorandum of Understanding to Strengthen Youth Democratic Engagement in Africa
On August 26, IFES and Nigeria-based youth civil society organization Yiaga Africa signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This MoU formalizes a partnership between the two organizations, guided by their common mission to strengthen participatory democracy, human rights and civic participation across Africa, with a particular focus on youth and electoral integrity.