Democracy Program – Program Reports

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July 25, 2012
Overview of State Obligations Relevant to Democratic Governance and Democratic Elections (PDF)
This brief paper, co-authored with Democracy Reporting International, gives an overview of the extent to which states are obliged to organize themselves as a democracy and to hold genuine elections, and describes related gaps in international law. A comprehensive table summarizes the obligations and their content and meaning.

July 25, 2012
Strengthening International Law to Support Democratic Governance and Genuine Elections (PDF)
This comprehensive study, co-authored with Democracy Reporting International, discusses state obligations under international law relevant to democratic governance and genuine elections in detail. It also outlines gaps in current international law and recommends specific points for inclusion in future general comments by the United Nations Human Rights Committee.

Jan. 19, 2012
The Carter Center Handbook on Observing Electronic Voting (PDF)
This handbook is designed to supplement other tools and resources available to Carter Center election observation missions (EOMs). It therefore does not cover every aspect of an election observation mission. Instead, it provides additional detail regarding those issues related to the use of e-voting technologies.

July 7, 2011
Summary of The Carter Center's Second Interim Statement on the Election Commission of Nepal's "Voter Register with Photograph" Program (नेपालीमा पढ्नुहोस)
The Election Commission of Nepal (ECN) is conducting a nationwide voter registration process to create a new computerized voter register. The new register will replace the previous one, which was believed to contain many mistakes, including missing or misspelled names, entries of the same voters' names in multiple locations, and possibly some ineligible voters. As part of broader efforts to observe the peace and constitutional processes at the local level, Carter Center observers have gathered information about the voter registration process from 40 of 75 districts since February 2011. The Center's observation objectives are to support the electoral process, to promote confidence in the ECN and the voter registration process to the degree warranted, and to contribute to the overall strengthening of the democratic process in Nepal.

April 19, 2011
Summary of Observation Findings on the Election Commission of Nepal's "Voter Registration with Photograph" Program (PDF)
The Election Commission of Nepal (ECN) is conducting a nationwide voter registration process to create a new computerized voter register. Following an invitation from the ECN and as part of broader efforts to observe the peace and constitutional processes at the local level, Carter Center observers were deployed to 13 districts in February and March 2011 to gather information about the voter registration process. The Center's observation objectives are to support the electoral process, to promote confidence in the ECN and the voter registration process to the degree warranted, and to contribute to the overall strengthening of the democratic process in Nepal.

Nov. 1, 2007
Final Report of the Technical Misson: Observing the 2006 Presidential Elections in Venezuela  (PDF)
In response to an invitation from the Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE), The Carter Center organized a specialized, technical mission to observe the use of automated voting technology employed in the Dec. 3, 2006, presidential elections in Venezuela.
Spanish version:
Misión Técnica del Centro Carter Elecciones Presidenciales 3 de diciembre de 2006 Venezuela (PDF)
En respuesta a una invitación del Consejo Nacional Electoral de Venezuela (CNE), el Centro Carter organizó una misión técnica especializada para la observación del sistema de votación automatizado utilizado durante las elecciones presidenciales del 3 de diciembre de 2006.

Oct. 1, 2007
Developing a Methodology for Observing Electronic Voting (PDF)
The increasing use of new electronic voting (e-voting) technologies in elections around the world has been recognized by the international election observation community as one of the paramount challenges facing election observation today. As a whole, international election observation organizations have had relatively little experience observing elections in which e-voting technologies are used. In addition, the inherent lack of transparency of electronic voting technologies discourages easy observation.

March 23, 2007
Building Concensus on Principles for International Election Observation (PDF)
This brief report outlines the consensus-building process that led to the endorsement of the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation and the Code of conduct for International Election Observers and discusses some of the continuing challenges facing the election observation community as a whole.

Dec. 1, 2005
Summary of Proceedings: Automated Voting and Election Observation, The Carter Center,
March 17-18, 2005
Introduction and link to the Summary of Proceedings: Automated Voting and Election Observation. Provides an overview of the main areas of discussion during the Carter Center-convened meeting of election authorities, academics, technical experts, and representatives from organizations involved in international election observation. Held March 17-18, 2005, in Atlanta. This summary may not reflect the exact views of each participant. A meeting agenda and list of participants are also attached.

April 1, 2004
East Timor Political and Election Observation Project (PDF)
Final Project Report: The East Timor Political and Election Observation Project, The Carter Center, Special Report Series.

June 1, 1998
Democratisation From The Outside In: NGO and International Efforts to Promote Open Elections
(No. 107) (PDF)
Reprint of an article by Wesleyan University's Vikram K. Chand that discusses the growth of international and NGO monitoring efforts and assesses their scope, contribution, and limits (PDF format).

Nov. 1, 1996
The Journey to Democracy: 1986-1996 (PDF)
Report chronicling the Council of Freely Elected Heads of Governments' role in the democratization of Latin America and the Caribbean through election-monitoring and other activities. Foreword by Jimmy Carter and introduction by Robert Pastor.

June 1, 1993
Moderating Ethnic Tensions by Electoral Mediation (PDF)
An overview of the role of international mediators in the electoral process, with special focus on the October 1992 elections in Guyana. A Carter Center publication by David J. Carroll and Robert A. Pastor, June 1993.

Nov. 1, 1992
The International Observation of the U.S. Elections (Vol. III, No. 1, November 1992) (PDF)
Report from the Council of Freely Elected Heads of Government and the Latin American and Caribbean Program of a visit by a Mexican team to observe the 1992 U.S. elections.

March 1, 1988
Myth, Reality, and the Future in Southern Africa: Challenges for a New Administration (PDF)
Report from the conference, "Myth, Reality, and the Future in Southern Africa: Challenges for a New Administration," a policy briefing sponsored by The Carter Center and the Ford Foundation in March 1988.