Election Obligations and Standards Handbook

This handbook and the Election Obligations and Standards body of work are dedicated to former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who early on saw the power of election observation to promote peace, equality, and human rights.

This handbook is a companion to the Carter Center’s Election Obligations and Standards database. This publicly accessible resource links human rights obligations and commitments in public international law with key parts of the electoral process.

Since the handbook was first published in 2014, the world has changed dramatically. The global state of democracy has continued to decline, with a growing number of countries experiencing backsliding, stagnation, and erosions in core freedoms of opinion, expression, and assembly. The world also has witnessed a shift in the landscape of elections, especially in the realm of technology and online information.