Democracy IDEAs

Against a background of deteriorating informational environments, falling trust in state institutions and growing electoral result disputation, electoral processes and those who administer them are increasingly being placed under the microscope. Ensuring that the integrity of elections withstand such scrutiny and that voters remain informed and engaged falls largely to election trainers and educators, and it is their vital work that is the focus of the first series of Peer-to-Peer, International IDEA’s new elections podcast.

Through interviews with electoral trainers and educators from around the world, the first series explores how different election commissions tackle the thorny issues affecting their field. How can thousands of temporary poll workers be prepared for election day operations in a short space of time? How can election training be delivered during a pandemic? How can voters be motivated to cast their ballot?

In episode #4 of Peer-to-Peer we take a deep dive into electoral training in Nigeria during the Covid-19 pandemic. With Ibrahim Sani, Director of Research at the Independent National Election Commission of Nigeria (INEC), David Towriss discusses the issues INEC had to address when early in the pandemic it prepared for gubernatorial elections in two of its states.
What new responsibilities would poll workers have to assume? What changes would have to be made to the training curricula? How would the delivery of training have to change?
Ibrahim explains how INEC answered these questions and shares its experience of implementing those solutions.

• Nigerian State Elections during the Covid-19 Pandemic: https://www.idea.int/sites/default/files/nigerian-state-elections-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-en.pdf
• Electoral Training and Education: The Case of the Electoral Institute in Nigeria: https://www.idea.int/sites/default/files/multimedia_reports/electoral-training-and-education-the-case-of-the-electoral-institute-in-nigeria-case-en.pdf

Against a background of deteriorating informational environments, falling trust in state institutions and growing electoral result disputation, electoral processes and those who administer them are increasingly being placed under the microscope. Ensuring that the integrity of elections withstand such scrutiny and that voters remain informed and engaged falls largely to election trainers and educators, and it is their vital work that is the focus of the first series of Peer-to-Peer, International IDEA’s new elections podcast.

Through interviews with electoral trainers and educators from around the world, the first series explores how different election commissions tackle the thorny issues affecting their field. How can thousands of temporary poll workers be prepared for election day operations in a short space of time? How can election training be delivered during a pandemic? How can voters be motivated to cast their ballot?

In the first 2022 episode of Peer-to-Peer podcast, hosts Erik Asplund and David Towriss examine how election education and training is conducted under Australia’s federal electoral management system. Their guides are Belinda Bennet, Director of the Australian Electoral Commission’s National Training and Education Unit, and Andrew Hawkey, Electoral Commissioner at the Tasmanian Electoral Commission.
From Belinda and Andrew we hear how Australia’s federal and state electoral management bodies work together to share innovations and best practice, the importance they place on training and developing their permanent staff and how they engage young voters of tomorrow.

• National Training and Education Unit - Australian Electoral Commission
• National Electoral Education Centre - Australian Electoral Commission
• Running Local Elections During the COVID-19 Crisis: Queensland, Australia

International IDEA’s Director of Global Programs Laura Thornton talks to Justin Wein, chief of staff of U.S. Congressman David Price about ways in which their office has adapted in the COVID-19 environment.
How have they conducted outreach, adjusted their communications strategy, managed casework, and participated in legislative activities and committee meetings?
Host: Laura Thornton, Director of Global Programs at International IDEA

Across the world, women face challenges to participate in politics, from confronting hate speech to internal party obstacles and lack of subsidized maternity leave. What are the best ways to increase women’s participation in elections and within party politics? What has been the influence of the #MeToo movement? Is it just about increasing the numbers of women in parliament?
Host: Laura Thornton, International IDEA’s Head of Global Programs
Guest: Birgitta Ohlsson, Sweden’s former EU and Democracy Minister and currently head of National Democratic Institute's program for political parties in Washington

In this episode of Peer-to-Peer, we speak with Alice Hill and Erik Asplund to explore how extreme weather, intensified by climate change, impacts elections and disenfranchises voters. Alice and Erik share their insights on the challenges disasters pose to voting, the role of climate change in increasing the frequency and/or intensity of extreme weather events, and how natural hazards are already affecting elections around the world. They also discuss the impact of hurricanes Helene and Milton on southeastern states ahead of the U.S. Presidential Election on November 5, 2024, and emphasize the need for reforms to safeguard elections from future emergencies and crises.

Guests:

Alice Hill works as the David M. Rubinstein senior fellow for energy and the environment at the Council on Foreign Relations. Her work focuses on the risks, consequences and responses associated with climate change. During the Obama administration, she was Special Assistant to the President of the United States and Senior Director for Resilience Policy at the National Security Council. She has co-authored the book Building a Resilient Tomorrow and the recent Climate Central report Disenfranchised by Climate Change.

Erik Asplund is a Senior Programme Officer in the Electoral Processes Programme, International IDEA. His research covers elections during emergencies and crises, risk management in elections, and training and professional development in electoral administration. He is the project lead for the natural hazard and elections projects. Recent books include Elections during Emergencies and Crises: Lessons for Electoral Integrity from the Covid-19 Pandemic(International IDEA 2023)

Host: Dr. Annika Silva-Leander is Head of North America at International IDEA where she oversees International IDEA’s outreach in the region, including relations with US government agencies, democracy assistance organizations and academic institutions, its engagement with the United Nations, and coordination of the Global Democracy Coalition. Annika is also International IDEA’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations, representing International IDEA at the UN General Assembly.

For more information about the episode or the work done by International IDEA on electoral processes, please contact us via [email protected]