The study is an examination of the models of internationalization of election supervision which w... more The study is an examination of the models of internationalization of election supervision which were employed by the international community in the late 1980's, 1990's and early 2000's.
The paper concerns a study of five transitional elections occurring in 2005 and 2006 in predomina... more The paper concerns a study of five transitional elections occurring in 2005 and 2006 in predominantly Muslim countries - Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Egypt, and the Palestinian Territories.
Observing voting technologies is not solely a matter of monitoring their use on election day and ... more Observing voting technologies is not solely a matter of monitoring their use on election day and in tabulation. The integrity of the system involves the manufacturer, procurement process, testing, and other such elements which go into making a system secure and accurate. This paper provides a framework to observe voting technologies with that perspective in mind.
This paper describes election technology applications which are "determinant" in nature, that is,... more This paper describes election technology applications which are "determinant" in nature, that is, their use is employed in determining the outcome of an election. Principally these applications are employed in voter identification, voter registration, and voting.
This paper is the second in a series I am writing on providing non-technical analyses of the appl... more This paper is the second in a series I am writing on providing non-technical analyses of the application of technologies to elections. This paper focuses on putting forward a framework for classifying types of technologies and the impact, both direct and indirect, on electoral processes.
Elections and Technology Series Election Technology Legal Frameworks1 Elements of the Legal Frame... more Elections and Technology Series Election Technology Legal Frameworks1 Elements of the Legal Framework The election technology legal framework is that set of statutes, regulations, and standards which govern the operation of the equipment and the protection of personal data secured by the technology. With respect to equipment, there are three principal elements of a framework 1) source code obligations, 2) equipment standards, and 3) equipment certification. The legal framework should also protect the personal information obtained for voter and candidate registrations.
After the fall of the Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier regime in Haiti, a referendum was organized... more After the fall of the Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier regime in Haiti, a referendum was organized to adopt a constitution and then a general election for public officials whose offices were created in the constitution. The study is a series of four on-site reports which I wrote in late 1987 conducting assessments and advising on the administration of the general election. Tragically, the election was cancelled late in the morning on election day with the massacre of two dozen people at a polling station in Port-au-Prince. These reports provide insights into the preparation for this election and early approaches to international electoral assistance.
This paper describes a diagnostic methodology to forecast the likelihood and manifestations of th... more This paper describes a diagnostic methodology to forecast the likelihood and manifestations of the digital disruption of elections through the Digital Disruption of Elections Risk Assessment (DDERA). The purpose of the DDERA is to compile a profile on the potential disruptions which could occur during an electoral cycle in a given country. The DDERA would include an analysis of social media use and Internet penetration, Internet regulations and oversight authorities, vulnerabilities for disruptions to occur, and identification of state, non-state, and transnational actors.
This paper is a report on the internationally supervised audit of the second-round Presidential e... more This paper is a report on the internationally supervised audit of the second-round Presidential election in Afghanistan (2014). This audit was the result of a political agreement between the two finalists in the contest. The author was a Senior Advisor to the United Nations in Kabul, which was the organization mandated to conduct the audit.
Kosovo turned a page in history in 2000 by voting in multiparty elections to establish new munici... more Kosovo turned a page in history in 2000 by voting in multiparty elections to establish new municipal self-government institutions. The decision to conduct local elections before "national" ones was because the status of Kosovo as a "state" was undetermined, and there was not an established legislative branch of government. It also was driven by the fact that Kosovars received many social services from municipal governments, and their continued functioning was essential for normal life to go on.
In 1996, I was appointed Director General of Elections for the OSCE to administer the first post-... more In 1996, I was appointed Director General of Elections for the OSCE to administer the first post-conflict elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is a brief article which I wrote in 2016 on the 20th anniversary of that election.
This document is a report on the organization and conduct of the internationally supervised munic... more This document is a report on the organization and conduct of the internationally supervised municipal elections conducted in Kosovo in 2000. I served as Director of Elections for the OSCE and UN for these elections.
Since 2016, digital disruption of elections has become an increasing concern because of its impac... more Since 2016, digital disruption of elections has become an increasing concern because of its impact on electoral integrity and public confidence in the efficacy of elections as instruments to determine governance. These disruptions take the forms of disinformation, fake news, and virtual threats against electoral and political targets, among other manifestations. Digital disruption has not been confined to a particular region or government status, that is, it has occurred across the globe in established as well as consolidating democracies. Disinformation and surveillance are also employed by autocratic regimes as means to consolidate and retain power.
The study is an examination of the models of internationalization of election supervision which w... more The study is an examination of the models of internationalization of election supervision which were employed by the international community in the late 1980's, 1990's and early 2000's.
The paper concerns a study of five transitional elections occurring in 2005 and 2006 in predomina... more The paper concerns a study of five transitional elections occurring in 2005 and 2006 in predominantly Muslim countries - Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Egypt, and the Palestinian Territories.
Observing voting technologies is not solely a matter of monitoring their use on election day and ... more Observing voting technologies is not solely a matter of monitoring their use on election day and in tabulation. The integrity of the system involves the manufacturer, procurement process, testing, and other such elements which go into making a system secure and accurate. This paper provides a framework to observe voting technologies with that perspective in mind.
This paper describes election technology applications which are "determinant" in nature, that is,... more This paper describes election technology applications which are "determinant" in nature, that is, their use is employed in determining the outcome of an election. Principally these applications are employed in voter identification, voter registration, and voting.
This paper is the second in a series I am writing on providing non-technical analyses of the appl... more This paper is the second in a series I am writing on providing non-technical analyses of the application of technologies to elections. This paper focuses on putting forward a framework for classifying types of technologies and the impact, both direct and indirect, on electoral processes.
Elections and Technology Series Election Technology Legal Frameworks1 Elements of the Legal Frame... more Elections and Technology Series Election Technology Legal Frameworks1 Elements of the Legal Framework The election technology legal framework is that set of statutes, regulations, and standards which govern the operation of the equipment and the protection of personal data secured by the technology. With respect to equipment, there are three principal elements of a framework 1) source code obligations, 2) equipment standards, and 3) equipment certification. The legal framework should also protect the personal information obtained for voter and candidate registrations.
After the fall of the Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier regime in Haiti, a referendum was organized... more After the fall of the Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier regime in Haiti, a referendum was organized to adopt a constitution and then a general election for public officials whose offices were created in the constitution. The study is a series of four on-site reports which I wrote in late 1987 conducting assessments and advising on the administration of the general election. Tragically, the election was cancelled late in the morning on election day with the massacre of two dozen people at a polling station in Port-au-Prince. These reports provide insights into the preparation for this election and early approaches to international electoral assistance.
This paper describes a diagnostic methodology to forecast the likelihood and manifestations of th... more This paper describes a diagnostic methodology to forecast the likelihood and manifestations of the digital disruption of elections through the Digital Disruption of Elections Risk Assessment (DDERA). The purpose of the DDERA is to compile a profile on the potential disruptions which could occur during an electoral cycle in a given country. The DDERA would include an analysis of social media use and Internet penetration, Internet regulations and oversight authorities, vulnerabilities for disruptions to occur, and identification of state, non-state, and transnational actors.
This paper is a report on the internationally supervised audit of the second-round Presidential e... more This paper is a report on the internationally supervised audit of the second-round Presidential election in Afghanistan (2014). This audit was the result of a political agreement between the two finalists in the contest. The author was a Senior Advisor to the United Nations in Kabul, which was the organization mandated to conduct the audit.
Kosovo turned a page in history in 2000 by voting in multiparty elections to establish new munici... more Kosovo turned a page in history in 2000 by voting in multiparty elections to establish new municipal self-government institutions. The decision to conduct local elections before "national" ones was because the status of Kosovo as a "state" was undetermined, and there was not an established legislative branch of government. It also was driven by the fact that Kosovars received many social services from municipal governments, and their continued functioning was essential for normal life to go on.
In 1996, I was appointed Director General of Elections for the OSCE to administer the first post-... more In 1996, I was appointed Director General of Elections for the OSCE to administer the first post-conflict elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This is a brief article which I wrote in 2016 on the 20th anniversary of that election.
This document is a report on the organization and conduct of the internationally supervised munic... more This document is a report on the organization and conduct of the internationally supervised municipal elections conducted in Kosovo in 2000. I served as Director of Elections for the OSCE and UN for these elections.
Since 2016, digital disruption of elections has become an increasing concern because of its impac... more Since 2016, digital disruption of elections has become an increasing concern because of its impact on electoral integrity and public confidence in the efficacy of elections as instruments to determine governance. These disruptions take the forms of disinformation, fake news, and virtual threats against electoral and political targets, among other manifestations. Digital disruption has not been confined to a particular region or government status, that is, it has occurred across the globe in established as well as consolidating democracies. Disinformation and surveillance are also employed by autocratic regimes as means to consolidate and retain power.
This is an assessment conducted in February and March 2002 which provides early insights into the... more This is an assessment conducted in February and March 2002 which provides early insights into the needs of the Afghanistan political transition after the fall of the Taliban in 2001.
The purpose of this handbook is fourfold: 1) to introduce the conceptual frameworks associated wi... more The purpose of this handbook is fourfold: 1) to introduce the conceptual frameworks associated with political finance systems; 2) to survey the profiles of political party income and spending; 3) to impart tools and methodologies for citizen monitoring of political finance; and 4) to put forward approaches for political finance reform. Definitions A political finance system "encompasses limitations on, support for, and accountability of funding for political parties, candidates and other electoral participants." 1 Its conceptual components include legal frameworks, enforcement capacity, and adjudication mechanisms. The basic regulatory options of a political finance system include public funding and indirect assistance, contribution and expenditure disclosure, individual and party asset disclosure, contribution and expenditure prohibitions, and contribution and expenditure limits. Campaign income can be defined as donations, loans, in-kind or third-party contributions, membership dues, earnings from assets and property or business activities, and the use of public administrative resources. And, campaign expenditure is any "expenditure incurred by or on behalf of a political party or candidate to promote the party or candidate at an election or in connection with future elections, including expenditure that has the aim of damaging the prospects of another party or candidate." 2
Recent research into the levels of violence in elections has revealed that, on an annual basis, a... more Recent research into the levels of violence in elections has revealed that, on an annual basis, an average of one in five elections experiences some form of violence. 1 And, in rare instances, the violence experienced is orchestrated scale that it is considered a crime against humanity, as determined by the International Criminal Court (ICC), or that required the establishment of transitional justice mechanisms. There have been two cases of crimes against humanity in an electoral context brought before the ICC-Kenya in 2007 and Cote D'Ivoire in 2010. However, because of its relevance, one additional case is also examined here-East Timor in 1999. The orchestration and scale of the violence in East Timor would have placed it within the jurisdiction of the ICC; however, that institution had not yet been established and cannot retrospectively prosecute such cases. For example, during the conduct of the United Nations (UN) supervised status referendum vote in East Timor, Indonesian-backed militia inflicted widespread deaths, assaults, and displacements, particularly in the post-election phase. The author of this paper was the Chief Electoral Officer for the United Nations Assistance Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) which was responsible for overseeing that voting.
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