IFES

10/15/2026

💡Election integrity doesn't begin on Election Day.

In Montenegro, preparations for the 2027 elections are already confronting a critical challenge: how to ensure transparency and integrity of competition before official campaigns even begin.

Working with IFES, Montenegro's Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (ASK) developed new risk assessment methodologies in pre-campaigning activities and is implementing procedures to monitor them.

ASK is now putting that work into practice, calling for greater accountability and transparency ahead of the 2027 elections.

The lesson extends far beyond Montenegro: strengthening electoral integrity means identifying risks well before they might materialize into problems.

Read more in the ASK statement – link in comments! ⤵️

[Photo: IFES workshop with the APC in June.]

10/14/2026

WHAT IF making AI more accessible also makes democracy stronger?

That was the question IFES brought to the Athens Democracy Forum last week, where global leaders and experts gathered to confront mounting challenges to democracy, including the rapid rise of AI.

In an interactive discussion led by Virginia Atkinson, Rosemarie Ramitt, Małgorzata Grobelna, and Breandan Ward, IFES explored how to harness AI’s potential while safeguarding democratic values, human rights, and accessibility.

The key takeaway? Accessibility and democratic integrity go hand in hand.

Transparency, accountability, and oversight that make AI work for persons with disabilities can also strengthen democratic processes for everyone.

The conversation continues at the Zero Project Conference in Vienna this February!

10/09/2026

We love that we get to close out the week with a new date for the 2026 IFES Charles T Manatt Democracy Award Celebration! Put it in your calendar:

🗓️ ✒️ Monday, November 30, 5:00 PM (ET)

For our friends and colleagues outside of Washington, DC: livestream details coming soon!

10/03/2026

IFES' Dr. Magnus Ohman at the International Roundtable on Political Finance Transparency and Oversight concluded in Ulaanbaatar last month!

10/02/2026

💬 Insights from the Bangladesh Election Commission on IFES’ work on overseas voting:

“I have seen firsthand IFES' support to the Bangladesh Election Commission in implementing an IT-supported postal voting system. This conference was another testament to that commitment, creating a valuable space for countries to learn from one another and strengthen their overseas voting systems”

10/02/2026

How can countries ensure citizens living abroad have a meaningful opportunity to vote?

Last month, election officials from across the Asia-Pacific region came together in Colombo for the Regional Conference on Overseas Voting, co-hosted by IFES and the Election Commission of Sri Lanka.

Drawing on experiences from Australia, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal and the Philippines, participants explored the opportunities and challenges of out-of-country voting and the different approaches countries have taken.

The key lesson: there is no one-size-fits-all model. Each country needs an approach that reflects its citizens, institutions and circumstances while supporting accessibility, security, electoral integrity and public confidence.

Here are a few moments from two days of dynamic regional exchange and collaboration.

AEC, COMELEC, Elections Commission of Maldives, Bangladesh Election Commission Secretariat, Election Commission, Nepal, Sida - Styrelsen för Internationellt Utvecklingssamarbete, Australian High Commission, Sri Lanka, IFES Sri Lanka

09/24/2026

Who funds politics matters. So does who is watching. 🔎

That’s why UNODC - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, International IDEA and IFES are joining forces on a new global initiative to strengthen transparency and integrity in political finance.

With support from the Government of Norway, Norad - Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the partnership will support countries as they use UNCAC Resolution 11/7 to advance practical reforms.

Together we will work to strengthen legal frameworks, oversight capacity and cooperation among the institutions working to prevent, detect and investigate political finance violations.

Because stronger political finance systems start with transparency, effective oversight and cooperation.

And there is room to grow. We welcome and invite other donors to join this partnership and help expand its reach and impact.

09/18/2026

The International Foundation for Electoral Systems strongly condemns Russia’s staging of State Duma elections on Ukrainian territory that Russia illegally invaded and illegally occupies.

Russia's attempt to legitimize its illegal occupation of Ukrainian territory contravenes the Geneva Conventions and Ukraine's sovereignty, and has no force under international law.

IFES condemns Russia’s staging of State Duma elections on Ukrainian territory that Russia illegally invaded and illegally occupies. This attempt to legitimize its illegal occupation contravenes the Geneva Conventions and Ukraine's sovereignty, and has no force under international law.

09/15/2026

Freedom begins with a choice.

The choice to speak. To participate. To be heard. And to have a genuine say in who governs and what your future will look like.

On the International Day of Democracy, we celebrate the power of people everywhere to shape their own futures.

At IFES, our work starts with that choice.

That means we support elections that are free, fair, credible and inclusive. It means we work every day to strengthen the institutions, technology and expertise that make those elections possible. And it means we address the corruption, intimidation and malign foreign interference that can undermine genuine political choice.

When every voice counts, people can influence the decisions that affect their lives. And when people can freely express their choices through credible elections, they can shape their own future.

That is the promise of democracy. And it is what IFES works to support every day.

09/03/2026

Webinar Alert! Weds, Sept. 9 | 14:30 CET

"Ukraine’s Post-War Elections Challenge: Ensuring a Credible, Secure, and Inclusive Process," hosted by the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) and Civil Network OPORA.

The full-scale invasion reshaped where Ukrainians actually live relative to where they used to vote — raising questions about electoral readiness and social cohesion for the country’s first post-war elections.

IFES' Global Democracy Data Advisor Dr. Cassandra Emmons is a speaker in this timely webinar that will explore key questions, including:

• How can Ukraine prepare for free and fair elections after the conflict ends, given the scale of internal and external displacement?

• What systems can ensure voting access for displaced citizens, including those abroad, and what legal and administrative gaps need to be closed beforehand?

• How can Ukraine preserve pluralism and public trust in electoral institutions during this transition?

Dr. Emmons will be joined by:
▪️ Olga Aivazovska, Head of the Board, Civil Network OPORA
▪️ Sergii Postivyi, Member, Central Election Commission of Ukraine
▪️ Ulvi Akhundlu, Deputy Head, Election Department, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights[tbc]

Moderated by Tetyana Bohdanova, Senior Election Expert, Team Lead Network and Training, EPDE

Registration link in comments! ⤵️