IFES - Elections - Assist governments, political parties and CSOs in election planning and administration, electoral law development, and voter education.
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Electoral and Political Enfranchisement of People with Disabilities
People with disabilities comprise at least 10 percent of the population of developing nations. Yet they remain largely invisible to the decision- and policy-makers who design and implement government programs. To begin to address these concerns, IFES is leading a series of initiatives to promote the electoral and political enfranchisement of people with disabilities.
- Involve a cross-section of organizations of and for people with cognitive, developmental, and physical disabilities;
- Foster partnerships among disability organizations, civil society, and government;
- Seek to remove barriers which prohibit the full participation of people with disabilities as voters and candidates;
- Seek to ensure that voters with disabilities are afforded their full rights as citizens, including their rights to vote and to serve in public office; and
- Develop global indicators and standards for electoral and political access.
These activities are primarily funded by ground-breaking grants from the Finland Ministry for Foreign Affairs, from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA).
Disability Projects
IFES has developed and is currently implementing voter education programs for disabled Iraqi citizens. This is of particular relevance in
Prior to Nicaragua's 2006 elections, IFES worked with the Supreme Electoral Council and several civil society groups focused on upholding the rights of the disabled to improve access to polling stations for voters with disabilities and to encourage them to come out and exercise their political rights.
News and Materials
Multimedia: Tu Voto Vale, Tu Voto Decide
Multimedia: Video clip of a tactile ballot used with blind voters in Sierra Leone
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