THE ELECTORAL CYCLE Charles Lasham Centre for Parliamentary Studies Seminar 9 th – 13 th July 2012

The Electoral Cycle Three phases to the Electoral Cycle 1.Pre-Electoral Period 2.Electoral Period 3.Post Electoral Period

Pre-Electoral Period 1 Budget and Financing Electoral Calendar Operational Plans Recruitment – easy? Payment? Independent? Procurement Security Logistics

Pre-Electoral Period 2 TRAINING Procedures, poll worker manuals ToT Training of polling and count staff Online training – Possible? CDs Payment?

Pre-Electoral Period 3 INFORMATION Civic and voter education Political Party liaison Civil Society liaison Accreditation of Observers International Observers Domestic Observers

Pre-Electoral Period 3 REGISTRATION Political Party Registration Political Party Financing Voter Registration VR: Established processes Immediately prior to election Continuous registration U.K. – U.S.A. – Egypt – Afghanistan - other

The Electoral Period 1 Nomination of candidates – independents? Codes of Conduct Media access – Media commissions? Preparation of ballots Printing and distribution Sensitive material Non-sensitive material

The Electoral Period 2 VOTING ~ Special voting ~ External voting ~ Advance voting ~ Election day(s) COUNTING ~ precinct, constituency, regional, electronic, ~ tabulation

The Electoral Period 3 Announcement of results Complaints and Appeals ~EMB or other body Voters, candidates and parties Cancellation of results

Post-Electoral Period 1 REVIEW ~ EMB alone? Secretariat, stakeholders? REFORM ~ Legal reform proposals ~ EMB ~ Election system ~ Boundaries

Post-Electoral Period 2 VOTER REGISTRATION UPDATE INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC PLANNING POST ELECTION REPORT RESULTS ON WEBSITE STAKEHOLDER NETWORKING