International Foundation For Electoral Systems

International Foundation For Electoral Systems

The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is an international, non-profit organization founded in 1987. This Washington, D.C.-based development organization provides assistance and support for elections in new and emerging democracies. Since 1987, IFES has provided assistance in 135 countries and it currently has programs in over 30 countries throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.

According to their website, IFES works to advance good governance and democratic rights by:

−Providing technical assistance to election officials;

−Empowering the under-represented to participate in the political process;

−Applying field-based research to improve the electoral cycle.

IFES is supervised by a Board of Directors made up of equal parts Democrats, Republicans and members of the international community. The president of IFES is Bill Sweeney. He replaced Jean-Pierre Kingsley in 2009.

IFES is a non-governmental organization; registered as a 501(c)(3) in the United States.

Read more about International Foundation For Electoral Systems:  History, Funding

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