In anticipation of the 2008 U.S. elections, a delegation of North African political leaders took part in an NDI study mission to examine the U.S. election process and the mechanisms in place to safeguard the integrity of the polls. Participants included senior party representatives, journalists and academics from Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt.
The study mission gave the visitors a first-hand look at the extraordinary civic engagement and outreach techniques that preceded the election and produced a particularly large voter turnout.
“The degree to which youth mobilized and believed in change in America makes me hope that one day young people in my country will participate in a process like this. I hope this event will have echoes across the world,” said Mohcine Belabes, a member of parliament representing Algeria’s Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD).
By observing different aspects of the U.S. election process – from grassroots campaign efforts in Virginia, to special interest groups in Philadelphia, to polling stations on election day – the delegates gained valuable perspectives to apply to their own countries. “The mechanical aspect of the electoral process was a very valuable part of the program,” said Algerian delegate Noureddine Ben Brahem of the National Democratic Rally (RND). Others commented on the good breadth of experiences provided by the program speakers.
Experts briefed the delegation on topics such as the Electoral College, election monitoring and voter protection. Speakers included Jennifer Collins-Foley from the Center for National Policy, who explained the logistics behind elections and polls; Mark Silva, White House correspondent for the Chicago Tribune; Joe Gaylord, a Republican Party strategist; and Peter Fenn, a Democratic communications strategist.
Larry Diamond, an expert on democracy and the rule of law, discussed the major foreign policy issues facing the next administration, while Andrew Albertson, executive director of the Project on Middle East Democracy, discussed how a new administration headed by Barack Obama or John McCain might address democracy assistance programs.
Vadim Zhdanovich of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe gave a presentation on the role of international observation in ensuring transparent elections.
The group also traveled to the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Virginia, where they met with representatives of the AFL-CIO and the Philadelphia Arab-American Community Development Corporation (PAACDC) – along with then-Democratic Senate candidate Mark Warner and Bill Day, congressional candidate from the 1st District of Virginia.
In Philadelphia, Labor Council President Patrick Eiding discussed election-related efforts of U.S. labor unions, while PAACDC President Marwan Kredie spoke about organizing the Arab-American community to gain greater representation in American politics.
In Virginia, the delegates spoke with grassroots organizers at the Fredericksburg Democratic Party office, where they learned about get-out-the-vote strategies, phone banks and canvassing methods. Local community activists discussed the role of churches and the influx of young professionals on the political landscape.
On election day, the delegates observed voting in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, where they witnessed different types of balloting, including touch-screen machines and paper ballots. “We saw democracy at work,” said Libyan delegate Mohamed Zahi Bashir Mogherbi, a professor of political science and director of Libya Vision 2025.
After returning home, a number of study mission participants shared their experiences through articles in local newspapers and on party websites. [Read a collection of these articles (*.pdf).]
On Dec. 15, several of the participants reunited in Algiers for the weekly roundtable of the Algerian newspaper El-Khabar, Brahem of the RND, Mohamed Tebbal from the Algerian Movement for Peace and Society (MSP) and other delegation members described their U.S. experiences and views on the election results. Libyan delegate Mogherbi traveled to Algiers to moderate the event. “American democracy is alive,” Mogherbi told reporters. “It is a good example for the world.” An article about the event and Mogherbi's remarks can be found in Arabic on El-Khabar's website.
Pictured above: Study mission paricipants observing a voting machine in Arlington, Va.
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Published on Dec. 23, 2008
