Training, Education and Research in Electoral Administration: Investing in excellence

Training is the process of learning the skills you need to do a particular job or activity. For election officials, training organized by electoral management bodies (EMBs) can be geared towards election procedures before, during or after elections; or be part of staff's lifelong learning to maintain and improve the professional competence of staff. Beyond their staff, several EMBs also train or educate other stakeholders such as political parties and candidates, members of the press, judges, security sector officials and the general public.  

Many EMBs engage in training on a regular and frequent basis. Some EMBs such as Australia, Sweden and the UK have adopted compulsory training for poll workers. The Central Election Commission of Georgia has gone a step further and introduced certification requirements for election administrative officials who have been politically appointed.  

To accommodate these and other training requirements related to the staff and other stakeholders, EMBs are increasingly investing in high-quality training and educational programmes run by professional educators who use innovative hands-on practice, activity and scenario-based learning methodologies. Moreover, a large number of EMBs have established fit-for-purpose training and education facilities. Examples include the Australian Election Commission (AEC) learning facility that includes classrooms and simulation rooms, and the Election Commission of India’s, Indian International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Management (IIIDEM), with its 12,500 sqm facility dedicated to training election officials from around the country and from abroad.  

During the last 30 years, at least 38 EMBs have established dedicated electoral training and education centres (see Table 1). These centres are either incorporated within the existing EMB structure or as a separate wing with functional or administrative autonomy.  

Table 1. Electoral Training, Education and Research Centres by country and year established  

Source: Author, constructed using information from EMB websites, social media and reports.  Note: centres marked with asterisk focus on electoral and civic education only. 

Many of these centres (as well as EMB departments or units) go beyond training and professional development, with voter and civic education and/or research functions as well (see multimedia report).  

Many practitioners agree that training, education and research are investments for ensuring successful elections (see New Delhi Statement). Training promotes professionalism within the EMB and trust among the voters. Voter and civic education support a vision of elections as a public good and societal endeavour. Research and analysis contribute to both innovation and adaptation and support institutional resilience. 

How and why some EMBs decide to establish a centre or instead strengthen existing structures will depend on the country and electoral context. To explore available options, International IDEA has published a series of diverse country case studies that aim to contribute to a better understanding of the dynamics related to opening and operating an electoral training and education facility in different environments. Each case study takes a similar approach by focusing on the facility's beginnings, first years of operations as well as the years of development and expansion. The case studies are aimed at policymakers and practitioners involved in EMB design with a focus on operational training, professional development, voter and civic education, and research:  

Case Study 1 - Electoral Training and Education: The Case of IIIDEM in India (27 May 2021)  

Case Study 2 - Electoral Training and Education: The Case of the Electoral Institute in Nigeria (27 May 2021)    

Case Study 3 - Electoral Training and Education: The Case of the Centre for Continuous Electoral Training in Moldova (27 May 2021)   

Cast Study 4 - Electoral Training and Education: The Case of the Information and Electoral Education Unit, ONPE Peru (27 May 2021)  

Cast Study 5 and 6 - Electoral Training and Education: The Case of the National Training and Education Unit and the National Electoral Education Centre, Australian Election Commission (forthcoming).