Madrid Workshop

Workshop on Challenges of Electoral Integrity

Contents

1. 1 Workshop on Challenges of Electoral Integrity
   1. 1.1 When: 9.00-7.00pm on Saturday 7th July 2012
   2. 1.2 Where: The Universidad Complutense de Madrid at the Moncloa Campus, Madrid
   3. 1.3 Description:
   4. 1.4 Practical arrangements:
   5. 1.5 Program schedule (Last updated 18th June 2012)
      1. 1.5.1 Registration and coffee
      2. 1.5.2 Welcome: Pippa Norris and Donley Studlar
      3. 1.5.3 PANEL 1
      4. 1.5.4 THE CONCEPT AND MEASUREMENT OF ELECTORAL INTEGRITY
      5. 1.5.5 THE CAUSE OF ELECTORAL MALPRACTICES
      6. 1.5.6 CHALLENGES OF ELECTORAL INTEGRITY IN AFRICA
      7. 1.5.7 BUFFET LUNCH
      8. 1.5.8 KEYNOTE ADDRESS:
      9. 1.5.9 THE IMPACT ON CITIZENS AND DEMOCRACY
      10. 1.5.10 CHALLENGES OF ELECTORAL MALPRACTICE IN ASIA
      11. 1.5.11 THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PUBLIC POLICY
      12. 1.5.12 PUBLICATION PLANS, LAUNCH OF THE ELECTORAL INTEGRITY PROJECT, AND COCKTAIL RECEPTION

When: 9.00-7.00pm on Saturday 7th July 2012

Where: The Universidad Complutense de Madrid at the Moncloa Campus, Madrid

Classroom 234, and tutorial rooms 23E & 23G, the Faculty de Farmacia building, the Universidad Complutense de Madrid at the Moncloa Campus. The building is a 5 minute walk from the metro station Ciudad Universitaria. Map of campus:

http://www.ucm.es/centros/webs/en/pags.php?tp=Localizaci%F3n&a=localiz&d=plano.php

Description:

IPSA-ECP is organizing a one-day workshop on Challenges of Electoral Integrity in Madrid on 7th July 2012, prior to the IPSA World Congress 8-12th July 2012. The Workshop is generously co-sponsored by International IDEA and by the Comparative Study of Electoral Systems.

A downloadable copy of the program, including all materials, local maps, and a workshop registration form are provided at the bottom of this page

The workshop focuses on the challenges of ‘electoral integrity’, understood as a complex and multidimensional concept which reflects internationally-agreed standards for the conduct of these contests.

Lack of electoral integrity is a major challenge facing the world. This includes flaws in the conduct of elections, raising issues of transparency, accountability, accuracy and ethical standards. Problems of integrity can influence all stages of the electoral process from franchise restrictions and voter registration procedures, boundary delimitation for electoral districts, party/candidate registration, campaigns, media, financing, voting, and vote counting, to the final declaration and outcome of the results. A growing body of research, by scholars and policy analysts, is starting to conceptualize the notion of ethical standards of electoral integrity, to examine techniques commonly used to manipulate electoral processes, and to analyze the consequences for citizens, legitimacy, political stability, democratization and the quality of democracy.

Challenges to electoral integrity arise from a range of techniques which violate internationally agreed standards, with different degrees of severity, such as practices which fail to respect basic political rights and civil liberties, undermine the independence of Electoral Commissions, unduly restrict ballot access for parties or candidates, repress opposition forces, limit fair and balanced access to campaign funding resources, disenfranchise citizens, coerce and intimidate voters, buy votes, manipulate election rules, limit balanced campaign news, generate fraudulent ballot counts, and prevent the legitimate victors from taking office.

Many regimes now hold elections but contests lacking integrity can generate legal disputes, reduce public confidence in democracy, and, in extreme cases, trigger outright violence and conflict.

A major new research study, The Electoral Integrity Project (www.electoralintegrityproject.com ), will also be launched at this workshop.

The workshop brings together an international network of more than fifty leading scholars and practitioners to discuss these issues in six panels.

Practical arrangements:

Papers accepted for the Workshop are requested to be emailed to Pippa Norris three weeks prior to the event, by 15th June 2012. Papers should ideally be around 8,000 words in length. These will be circulated to discussants and posted on the ECP website, www.IPSA-ECP.com, in advance of the event. All papers will be considered for subsequent publication and Electoral Studies has indicated interest in reviewing papers for a special issue of the journal. Paper-givers and discussants are requested to present their comments for no more than 15 minutes each, to maximize time for discussion and interaction. Buffet lunch and refreshments will be provided for all registered participants. An evening dinner will also be arranged for chairs, paper-givers, and discussants.

Details about any amendments to the final program, and the practical logistics will be confirmed closer to the date. You are recommended to consult the IPSA Congress for details about recommended hotels. http://www.ipsa.org/events/congress/madrid2012/congress-accommodations.