The National Democratic Institute is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government.

The Institute’s approach to election-related programming seeks to maximize the opportunities presented by elections to help advance democratic progress. NDI programs promote the integrity of electoral and political processes based on international human-rights law and the practicalities of citizen mobilization.

NDI’s election-related activities are tailored to the broader political process in each country to promote citizen participation as electors, and electoral candidates as a means of achieving democratic governance, mitigating potentials for violent conflict, and improving the lives of people. In these respects, NDI recognizes that:

• Genuine elections are not merely a technical endeavor; they are a fundamental human right linked to a broad array of institutions and the ability of citizens to exercise other civil and political rights;

• Elections are a periodic test of the strength of democratic institutions, and they illuminate the underlying nature of the competition for political power in a country;

• Elections are a vehicle for the participation of citizens in the democratic process, and they help to build capacities that are central to achieving accountable, democratic governance;

• Elections are part of making democracy deliver a better quality of life by linking voters’ interests to the act of selecting a candidate, party or policy through public discourse and balloting; and

• Elections are a means for managing the potentials for violent conflict and advancing human security.

The Institute has over 20 years of experience in international election observation. It has supported the electoral integrity efforts of political parties and domestic nonpartisan election monitoring organizations, which have included a large segment of women and youth in more than 90 countries.

For more information about NDI's involvement in upcoming elections, view the 2010-2011 Elections Calendar.

International Election Observation

Nonpartisan Domestic Monitoring

Political Party Pollwatching

Election Law Reform

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Selected Publications

2010 & 2011 Election Calendar

Further Reading

Contact Information

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