IFES hosted top election officials representing more than 40 countries during a major three-day international conference in Washington, DC, from November 3, 2008, to November 5, 2008, at the Capitol Hilton Hotel; coinciding with the U.S. Presidential Elections.
The conference was attended by government ministers, chief election officials and internationally eminent election experts and academics, including retired South African Judge Johann Kriegler, who recently concluded an international review of the 2007 Kenya elections.
Other participants included government ministers from Lebanon, election officials and advisers from the Palestinian Authority, government officials from Afghanistan and lawmakers from Mexico.
Judge Kriegler, Carlos Valenzuela, former United Nations Chief Technical Adviser, and IFES’ Jamie Dettmer spoke with Kojo Nnamdi providing international and local perspectives on elections. That can be heard here.
In addition, participant Commissioner Rene V. Sarmiento (Philippines) described his experience in the United States and visits to polling stations in 10 lessons here.
This year’s Election Night evening program, the fifth U.S. Presidential Election program held by IFES, was co-hosted with the Newseum, with keynote Kojo Nnamdi of National Public Radio.
Invited guests included representatives of the U.S. democracy and governance community, foreign dignitaries, U.S. Government officials and Congressional staffers. Throughout the night, guests were able to follow the historic U.S. elections covered by major news networks.
Preceding the reception, the conference had presentations on U.S. elections from leading academics, political strategists and election advisers, followed by a half-day tour of polling sites in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia.
The conference also included a morning briefing on November 4 for Ambassadors on the 2008 U.S. elections. This briefing was jointly hosted by IFES and the Meridian International Center and lead by Andrew S. Natsios, former Administrator of USAID and now Distinguished Professor at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.
The conference was filled with plenary sessions and discussion forums on the 2008 White House race; highlighting campaign finance, political campaigning, electoral operations and voter registration.
Speakers included: Rosemary Rodriguez, Chair of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, Ellen Weintraub, Commissioner with the Federal Election Commission, Doug Chapin, Director at the Pew Charitable Trusts, and Curtis B. Gans, Director of the Center for the Study of the American Electorate at American University.
Conference Agenda with Videos and Audios
Top election officials from more than 40 countries participated in an IFES-sponsored three-day conference, which concluded November 5.
Various presentations made during the plenary and discussion sessions are available as listed below:
Saturday, November 1
Tour of National Archives
Monday, November 3
Opening Ceremony and Introduction to Program (Video) (audio)
William J. Hybl, IFES Chairman of the Board
Peter G. Kelly, IFES Vice-Chairman of the Board
Jean-Pierre Kingsley, IFES President and CEO
Elections in the United States – Decoding the Mystery of U.S. Elections (Video) (audio)
Introduction: Michael Svetlik, IFES Senior Director of Programs
Rosemary Rodriguez, U.S. Election Assistance Commission
Voter Registration – Energizing the Electorate (Video) (audio)
Introduction: Chris Hennemeyer, IFES VP of Communications and Compliance
Tova Wang, Common Cause
Robert Pew, National Rifle Association
U.S. Foreign Assistance - Strengthening Electoral Institutions
Dorothy Douglas Taft, United States Agency for International Development
Political Campaigns - Winners and Losers (Video) (audio)
Introduction: Chad Vickery, IFES Regional Director of Europe and Asia
Diana Carlin, University of Kansas
Jamie Dettmer, IFES Director of Communications and Advocacy
Campaign Finance - The Best President Money Can Buy (Video) (audio)
Introduction: Marcin Walecki, IFES Senior Advisor for Political Finance and Public Ethics
Ellen Weintraub, Federal Election Commission
Michael Malbin, Campaign Finance Institute
Robert Dahl, International Campaign Finance Specialist
Electoral Operations – Election Administration in the United States (Video) (audio)
Introduction: Yinka Oyinlola, IFES Country Director, Angola
Plenary: Doug Chapin, Pew Charitable Trusts
Electoral Operations – The Rise of the Machines and More
William O’Field, U.S. Electoral Specialist
Jennifer Collins-Foley, The Pollworker Institute
Conny McCormack, U.S. Electoral Specialist
Opening Reception at Capital Hilton
Tuesday, November 4
Election Day Briefing: Foreign Assistance Implications (Video)
Jean-Pierre Kingsley, IFES President and CEO
Peter G. Kelly, IFES Vice-Chairman of the Board
Andrew Natsios, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University & Special Envoy to Sudan
Tour of Metro-DC Polling Stations
Vote Counting - Constitutional Compromise
Introduction: Maggie Mitchell Salem, IFES Regional Director of Middle East and North Africa
Barak Hoffman, Center for Democracy and Civil Society at Georgetown University
Curtis B. Gans, Center for the Study of the American Electorate at American University Book launch and signing
The Resolution of Election Disputes: Legal Challenges that Control Election
Challenges, Second Edition By Barry H. Weinberg
The Polls - Predicting who will be president?
Rakesh Sharma, IFES Director of Applied Research
Tour of Voice of America Reception at Newseum (Video)
Special guest: Kojo Nnamdi
Wednesday, November 5
International Perspectives - Global Voices
Introduction: Carina Perelli, IFES Executive Vice President
Justice Johann Kriegler, former Chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) of South Africa
Ambassador Gerard Stoudmann, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland
Eduardo Valdés Escoffery, Electoral Tribunal of Panama
Closing Ceremony
William J. Hybl, IFES Chairman of the Board
Jean-Pierre Kingsley, IFES President and CEO
Tour of U.S. Capitol Building