The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is an international, non-profit organization founded in 1987. Based in Arlington, Virginia, the organization provides assistance and support for elections and electoral stakeholders in new and emerging democracies. Since 1987, IFES has worked in 145 countries and currently has programs in more than 50 countries throughout
Asia-Pacific
Asia-Pacific (APAC) is the part of the world near the western Pacific Ocean. The Asia-Pacific region varies in area depending on context, but it generally includes East Asia, Russian Far East, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Australia and Pacific Isla ...
Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.
Along with th ...
501(c)(3)
A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...
in the United States. According to IFES, they work to advance good governance and democratic rights by providing technical assistance to election officials, collaborating with civil society and public institutions to increase participation in the political process, and applying field-based research to improve the electoral cycle and develop trusted electoral bodies. IFES is supervised by a Board of Directors made up of Democrat and Republican politicians and members of the international community. Since 2018, the president of IFES is
Anthony Banbury
Anthony Banbury (born 1964) was appointed the President and Chief Executive Officer of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) in 2018. He served as United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Field Support until 5 February 20 ...
F. Clifton White
Frederick Clifton White Sr. (June 13, 1918 - January 9, 1993), was an American political consultant and campaign manager for candidates of the Republican Party, the New York Conservative Party, and some foreign clients. He is best remembered as t ...
on September 19, 1987, as a response to
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
In 1989, IFES began its first project, which focused on the Paraguayan general elections2005-2006 Biennial Report . International Foundation for Electoral Systems. pp 4, 24-25. Accessed July 22, 2009. of that year.
By 1990, IFES had established its first field office in
Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
.
In 1991, IFES convened a conference that established the
Association of Central and Eastern European Election Officials The Association of European Election Officials or ACEEEO was an organization of election management bodies founded in 1991 to promote the institutionalization and professionalization of democratic procedures in Europe.USAID, and opened a new Resource Center.
In 1995, IFES embarked on a joint venture with International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs to create the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS). This is a cooperative agreement supervised by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Office of Democracy and Governance, which is the principal contractor for the Office of Democracy and Government's elections and political processes program which provides technical assistance and support to USAID missions worldwide.Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening
In 1995, IFES also accomplished its first surveys in Russia and Ukraine. The first IFES-created non-government organization, CENTRAS, also became private at this time as a continuation of the IFES's "Civic Voice" project in Romania.
In 1996, IFES received its first international appointment from Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE: Bosnia and Herzegovina) and, in 1997, worked with the Association of Caribbean Electoral Organizations (ACEO) to adopt the San Juan Declaration which is IFES' first disability effort.
In 1998, IFES partnered up with International IDEA and UNDESA, with funding from USAID, to release the Administration and Cost of Elections Project. ACE became one of the most valued and best-known international depositories of knowledge on managing elections focused on the administrative and cost implications of the choices available. In 2006 the name was changed to the ACE Electoral Knowledge Network (with the letters ACE no longer standing for Administration and Cost of Elections) and launched a new online knowledge repository that provides information and advice on improving elections and the elections process.
In 1998, IFES also opened its first field office in Asia located in the Philippines.
In 1999, as part of its youth and elections programs, IFES introduced a 10-day Summer Democracy Camp for middle and high school students. The Democracy Camps teach youngsters about democracy and how to participate in the political process. The first Democracy Camp program was in Uzbekistan during the summer of 1999.
In 2002, IFES worked on its first-ever domestic projects which focused on the 2002 Florida Elections.
In 2002, voters with disabilities were able to use IFES' Tactile Ballot Guide in Sierra Leone's May 2002 presidential and parliamentary elections. This was the first time in Africa that the visually impaired were able to cast their ballots unassisted and in secret.
In 2003, IFES acquired The Center for Democracy, an organization founded in 1985 by Allen Weinstein.
In 2005, IFES established the
Charles T. Manatt
Charles Taylor Manatt (June 9, 1936 – July 22, 2011) was a U.S. Democratic Party political figure. He was an American lawyer, politician and businessman.
Manatt was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1981 to 1985. In those yea ...
Democracy Awards to pay tribute to outstanding men and women who are committed to freedom and democracy, just like Ambassador Manatt. IFES awards three individuals each year: one Democrat, one Republican, and a member of the international community to highlight the fact that democracy work transcends political barriers and national borders.
As part of IFES' 20th anniversary, in 2007, it hosted the fourth
Global Electoral Organization Conference The Global Electoral Organization Conference (GEO Conference) is an invitation-only conference which aims to "bring together electoral practitioners and experts to exchange knowledge and share experiences, to provide a forum for networking, to prese ...
(GEO Conference) in Washington. This conference brought together 200 election officials and democracy advocates from 67 countries to discuss the most pressing issues in the field of election administration.
With global attention on the 2016 U.S. presidential election, IFES gathered 550 participants from 90 countries for the 2016 U.S. Election Program and Seventh Global Elections Organization Conference (GEO-7) from November 6–10. The 2016 USEP and GEO-7 was the largest international gathering of election professionals of the year and the 13th hosted by IFES since 1992. The event brought together election officials, parliamentarians and diplomats from around the world to observe and learn about the U.S. electoral system as well as discuss elections and voting from comparative international perspectives.
Prize
IFES gives two annual awards: the Joe C. Baxter Award and the Charles T. Manatt Democracy Award.
Leadership
Executive
* Anthony Banbury, President/CEO
* Michael Meenan, Chief Financial Officer
* Catherine Barnes, Vice President, Global Growth and Outreach
* Michael Svetlik, Vice President, Programs
* Chad Vickery, Vice President, Global Strategy and Technical Leadership
* Elaine Cole, Director, Human Resources
Board of Directors
* Thomas A. Devine, Chairman
* Amb. J. Kenneth Blackwell, Co-Chairman
* June Langston DeHart, Vice-Chair
* Amb. William C. Eacho, Vice-Chair
* Amb. Theodore Sedgwick, Treasurer
* Randal Teague Sr., Secretary
* Margaret Biggs
* Garvin Brown
* Kenneth Cutshaw
* Charles Dolan Jr.
* Hon. Irene Hadžiabdić
* Hon.
Steny Hoyer
Steny Hamilton Hoyer (born June 14, 1939) is an American politician and attorney serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for since 1981 and as House majority leader, House Majority Leader since 2019. A Democrat ...
* Frederick S. Humphries Jr.
* William J. Hybl
* Attahiru Muhammadu Jega
* Gregori Lebedev
* Amb. Tom McDonald
* M. Peter McPherson
* H.E. Andrés Pastrana
* Hon. Rob Portman
* Daniel F. Runde
*
Camille Stewart
Camille Stewart is an American technology and cybersecurity attorney, public speaker, and entrepreneur. She served as the Senior Policy advisor for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under the Obama administration from 2015 to 2017 under t ...
Department for International Development
, type = Department
, logo = DfID.svg
, logo_width = 180px
, logo_caption =
, picture = File:Admiralty Screen (411824276).jpg
, picture_width = 180px
, picture_caption = Department for International Development (London office) (far right ...
IFES has worked in over 20 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa over the past three decades.
Currently, IFES has programs in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal.
IFES lent significant support to the development of the Association of African Election Authorities.
The Americas
IFES has been developing and implementing programs in the Americas region since its foundation, in 1987.
Currently, IFES has programs in Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica and Nicaragua.
Asia-Pacific
Over the last three decades, IFES has engaged in programming and research across Asia-Pacific, partnering global expertise with local solutions through combining efforts with a variety of partner organizations.
Currently, IFES has programs in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Fiji, Indonesia, Maldives, Mekong Region, Myanmar, Nepal, Pacific Islands, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste.
Europe and Eurasia
Across Europe and Eurasia, IFES states that it applies its technical expertise in an effort to advance good governance and democratic rights. IFES has had a long-term presence in many countries in Europe, such as Ukraine – where IFES has regularly conducted public opinion surveys since 1994 – and continues to conduct programming in diverse environments in countries such as Georgia and Kyrgyzstan.
Currently, IFES has programs in Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and, Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Georgia, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan, as well as a regional program across Europe.
Middle East and North Africa
IFES has worked in over a dozen countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa.
Currently, IFES has programs in Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan, Syria and Tunisia.