Citizens, technologists and civil society organizations across the globe are demanding more openness in government, including government data, so that they can ensure public institutions are more transparent, responsive and accountable. At the same time, election management bodies (EMBs) are making more electoral data public in a variety of ways. Citizens need to be equipped to advocate for and analyze election data, while EMBs can use emerging open election data principles to ensure they release election data in ways that are useful to citizens. 

NDI launched the Open Election Data Initiative (OEDI) in 2015 to equip civil society, election administrators and technologists with the concepts and tools to effectively advocate for, implement and use election data that is truly “open.” The initiative identifies nine open election data principles (truly “open” election data is timely, granular, available for free on the internet, complete and in bulk, analyzable, non-proprietary, non-discriminatory, license-free and permanently available) and outlines the types of data and what open data may look like throughout 16 different stages of an election process, from the pre-election period through election day and into the post-election period. 

The interactive OEDI website, currently available in English, Arabic, French and Spanish, includes a guide on Unleashing the Potential of Election Data, an inventory of election data openness in 18 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and an Election Data Academy, which will be expanded periodically with additional learning modules.