Promoting More Genuine and Competitive Elections & Political Processes
Free and fair elections are vital to a functioning democracy. When a country is emerging out of a protracted civil war, or in cases where a country's government has lost the confidence of its citizens, it is often necessary to hold elections very quickly. USAID helps in these situations in many ways, including:
- conducting pre-election assessments
- training election commissions, poll watchers, & international election observers
- developing civic and voter education techniques
- developing programs to address gender, minority, and ethnic issues.
Regardless of the type of assistance given, the goal is always the same -- to insure a free and unbiased election.
USAID also provides longer-term assistance to newly emerging democracies that may lack the institutional capacity to support, organize, and carry out elections, to properly organize political parties, or to educate their citizens concerning the political process and the mechanics of voting. USAID programs to address these problems include election planning and implementation, political party development, voter education, and support for domestic and international monitoring groups. The goal here is to help countries institutionalize the appropriate political procedures that will help ensure a stable, democratic system.
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