The campaign for Guatemala’s Sept. 6 presidential, legislative and municipal elections is unfolding against a backdrop of ongoing protests that erupted following charges of corruption against a former vice president and other political leaders. This challenging political environment is further complicated by intimidation and threats of violence, particularly against Guatemalan observers monitoring election preparations.  

In the run up to Burkina Faso’s first ever multi-party legislative and presidential elections on Oct. 11, voters report being most concerned about their daily economic and social well-being. They also revealed that they want to contribute to the democratic process alongside their elected leaders and take an active role in the country’s reform process, according to focus group research conducted by NDI in February.  

Guatemalan citizens will go to the polls on Sept. 6 amid a deepening political crisis that has seen the vice president and other key administration officials resign after being accused of corruption. The resignations come on the heels of massive anti-corruption protests, the largest protests that the country has seen in decades.

Despite the possibility of spillover violence from Syria, a vacancy in the presidency and postponed parliamentary elections, young Lebanese party activists are eager to find ways to enter politics.

Forty of them, representing five political parties, gathered outside Beirut last month for a campaign school for future candidates and campaign teams  to learn how to build outreach strategies and create messages that address voter interests.

Electoral violence disproportionately affects women worldwide. In fact, a study by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems indicated that women voters face violence at four times the rate of male voters during elections.