Elections in the United States are unique -- not only due to the decentralized election framework and history of campaigning, but also for the impact that presidential results in particular have around the world. This year Americans cast their votes for 469 members of Congress and 6,064 state-level elected leaders, in addition to dozens of ballot measures in individual states.

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) is proud to announce a partnership with Code for All, a global network of civic technology organizations, to support the network in sharing their learning and experiences and bringing the Code for All model to additional parts of the globe.

Voters around the globe are increasingly demanding that candidate debates become an indispensable part of their country’s elections. Often the culminating moment of the election campaign, debates like no other forum put contending candidates side by side on the same stage to contrast their leadership styles, visions and policies. But making debates a reality in young and even established democracies is far from a given. A range of political, organizational and production hurdles can defeat even the most committed debate sponsor.

As Americans watch the three general election presidential debates and one vice presidential debate this fall, many may not realize that such debates have become a global phenomenon. The Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD) is a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that has sponsored and produced all U.S. general election debates since 1987. Over time, CPD has expanded its work to support debates around the world.