Supervising Electoral Processes


Book Description

This publication contains the reports presented at the seminar entitled "Supervising Processes", organised in Madrid on 24 and 25 April 2009 by the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) in co-operation with the Centre for Political and Constitutional Studies (CEPC). This was the first UniDem (Universities for Democracy) seminar which compared the legal situation in Europe with that of the United States and Latin America. The aim of the seminar was to study the ways of making electoral legislation effective. It addressed electoral disputes from a procedural as well as from a substantive point of view. It also demonstrated the different approaches taken in Europe, where disputes are generally dealt with by constitutional or ordinary courts, and Latin America, where specialised courts have been established. The seminar dealt with the role of international judicial instances, such as the European Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, in guaranteeing the quality of the electoral process, as well as with the control of electoral campaign financing.




Electoral Management Design


Book Description

Building trust and professionalism in the management of electoral processes remains a major challenge for Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs), institutions and/or bodies responsible for managing elections. The 'credibility gap' - the diminished public confidence in the integrity and diligence for many electoral institutions and their activities - is a common problem for EMBs around the world. Many EMBs face basic design questions as they seek to work better: how should EMBs be structured to ensure that they can act independently? How do EMBs relate to stakeholders such as the media, political parties and donors? How can EMBs evaluate their performance and use experience to build sustainable elections? "The Electoral Management Design Handbook" is written for electoral administrators, electoral administration designers and other practitioners involved in building professional, sustainable and cost-effective electoral administrations which can deliver legitimate and credible free and fair elections. It is a comparative study that shares best practices and know-how from around the world on financing, structuring and evaluation of Electoral Management Bodies




Asking the Right Questions About Electronic Voting


Book Description

Many election officials look to electronic voting systems as a means for improving their ability to more effectively conduct and administer elections. At the same time, many information technologists and activists have raised important concerns regarding the security of such systems. Policy makers are caught in the midst of a controversy with both political and technological overtones. The public debate about electronic voting is characterized by a great deal of emotion and rhetoric. Asking the Right Questions About Electronic Voting describes the important questions and issues that election officials, policy makers, and informed citizens should ask about the use of computers and information technology in the electoral processâ€"focusing the debate on technical and policy issues that need resolving. The report finds that while electronic voting systems have improved, federal and state governments have not made the commitment necessary for e-voting to be widely used in future elections. More funding, research, and public education are required if e-voting is to become viable.




Virginia Election Laws


Book Description




Securing the Vote


Book Description

During the 2016 presidential election, America's election infrastructure was targeted by actors sponsored by the Russian government. Securing the Vote: Protecting American Democracy examines the challenges arising out of the 2016 federal election, assesses current technology and standards for voting, and recommends steps that the federal government, state and local governments, election administrators, and vendors of voting technology should take to improve the security of election infrastructure. In doing so, the report provides a vision of voting that is more secure, accessible, reliable, and verifiable.




Comparing Democracies


Book Description

11. Leaders - Ian McAllister




The Oxford Handbook of Electoral Systems


Book Description

No subject is more central to the study of politics than elections. All across the globe, elections are a focal point for citizens, the media, and politicians long before--and sometimes long after--they occur. Electoral systems, the rules about how voters' preferences are translated into election results, profoundly shape the results not only of individual elections but also of many other important political outcomes, including party systems, candidate selection, and policy choices. Electoral systems have been a hot topic in established democracies from the UK and Italy to New Zealand and Japan. Even in the United States, events like the 2016 presidential election and court decisions such as Citizens United have sparked advocates to promote change in the Electoral College, redistricting, and campaign-finance rules. Elections and electoral systems have also intensified as a field of academic study, with groundbreaking work over the past decade sharpening our understanding of how electoral systems fundamentally shape the connections among citizens, government, and policy. This volume provides an in-depth exploration of the origins and effects of electoral systems.




The Future of Election Administration


Book Description

As the American election administration landscape changes as a result of major court cases, national and state legislation, changes in professionalism, and the evolution of equipment and security, so must the work of on-the-ground practitioners change. This Open Access title presents a series of case studies designed to highlight practical responses to these changes from the national, state, and local levels. This book is designed to be a companion piece to The Future of Election Administration, which surveys these critical dimensions of elections from the perspectives of the most forward-thinking practitioner, policy, advocacy, and research experts and leaders in these areas today. Drawing upon principles of professionalism and the practical work that is required to administer elections as part of the complex systems, this book lifts up the voices and experiences of practitioners from around the country to describe, analyze, and anticipate the key areas of election administration systems on which students, researchers, advocates, policy makers, and practitioners should focus. Together, these books add to the emerging body of literature that is part of the election sciences community with an emphasis on the practical aspects of administration.




The Cancellation of Election Results


Book Description

Electoral law, like all other fields of law, Is effective only if it provides for sanctions. The cancellation of elections results, The most serious of sanctions, Is in general linked To The most serious of irregularities, especially when its effects are felt beyond a small constituency. However, small technical inaccuracies may affect election results if the difference in votes is minimal, As recent examples such as the notorious 2000 United States presidential elections have shown. This book aims to determine when electoral disputes should lead to such a consequence, based on the practice of national, constitutional and supreme courts throughout Europe, As well as on the practice of the European Court of Human Rights. This publication contains the reports presented at the Seminar on Cancellation of Election Results, organised by the Venice Commission in co-operation with the Constitutional Court of Malta And The Maltese Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs, On 14 and 15 November 2008.




Super PACs


Book Description

The passage of Citizens United by the Supreme Court in 2010 sparked a renewed debate about campaign spending by large political action committees, or Super PACs. Its ruling said that it is okay for corporations and labor unions to spend as much as they want in advertising and other methods to convince people to vote for or against a candidate. This book provides a wide range of opinions on the issue. Includes primary and secondary sources from a variety of perspectives; eyewitnesses, scientific journals, government officials, and many others.