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Global Election & Electoral Standards Resources

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With more people than ever voting in elections around the world, the International Law Community of the D.C. Bar gathered key resources that outline global standards for democratic elections, including guidance for legal frameworks, equal access to voting, protections for election observers and electoral workers, electoral integrity and accountability. In addition to resources, the section titled "Useful Organizations" provides links to global and regional organizations working to promote democratic elections and electoral standards.

General Elections Obligations, Standards and Guidelines

Select International Human Rights Law Provisions

  • Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Article 21
    1. Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
    2. Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.
    3. The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.
       
  • International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: Article 25
    Every citizen shall have the right and the opportunity, without any of the distinctions mentioned in article 2 and without unreasonable restrictions:

    (a) To take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly or through freely chosen representatives;(b) To vote and to be elected at genuine periodic elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electors;
    (c) To have access, on general terms of equality, to public service in his country.
     
  • Human Rights Committee, General Comment 25 (1996):
    Interpreting Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on The Right to Participate in Public Affairs, Voting Rights and the Right of Equal Access to Public Service. Note, in particular, paragraphs 4, 10-26.
     
  • International Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination: Article 5
    In compliance with the fundamental obligations laid down in article 2 of this Convention, States Parties undertake to prohibit and to eliminate racial discrimination in all its forms and to guarantee the right of everyone, without distinction as to race, color, or national or ethnic origin, to equality before the law, notably in the enjoyment of the following rights:  . . .  (c) Political rights, in particular the right to participate in elections-to vote and to stand for election-on the basis of universal and equal suffrage, to take part in the Government as well as in the conduct of public affairs at any level and to have equal access to public service.
     
  • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: Article 7
    States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the political and public life of the country and, in particular, shall ensure to women, on equal terms with men, the right:
    (a) To vote in all elections and public referenda and to be eligible for election to all publicly elected bodies;
    (b) To participate in the formulation of government policy and the implementation thereof and to hold public office and perform all public functions at all levels of government;
    (c) To participate in non-governmental organizations and associations concerned with the public and political life of the country.
     
  • Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Article 29
    States Parties shall guarantee to persons with disabilities political rights and the opportunity to enjoy them on an equal basis with others, and shall undertake:
    (a) To ensure that persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in political and public life on an equal basis with others, directly or through freely chosen representatives, including the right and opportunity for persons with disabilities to vote and be elected, inter alia, by:
    (i) Ensuring that voting procedures, facilities and materials are appropriate, accessible and easy to understand and use;
    (ii) Protecting the right of persons with disabilities to vote by secret ballot in elections and public referendums without intimidation, and to stand for elections, to effectively hold office and perform all public functions at all levels of government, facilitating the use of assistive and new technologies where appropriate;
    (iii) Guaranteeing the free expression of the will of persons with disabilities as electors and to this end, where necessary, at their request, allowing assistance in voting by a person of their own choice;
    (b) To promote actively an environment in which persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in the conduct of public affairs, without discrimination and on an equal basis with others, and encourage their participation in public affairs, including:
    (i) Participation in non-governmental organizations and associations concerned with the public and political life of the country, and in the activities and administration of political parties;
    (ii) Forming and joining organizations of persons with disabilities to represent persons with disabilities at international, national, regional and local levels.

Non-Discrimination and Protection of Voters

  • International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: Article 25
    Every citizen shall have the right and the opportunity, without any of the distinctions mentioned in article 2 and without unreasonable restrictions: … (b)  To vote and to be elected at genuine periodic elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electors.
     
  • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women: Article 7
    States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against women in the political and public life of the country and, in particular, shall ensure to women, on equal terms with men, the right:
    (a) To vote in all elections and public referenda and to be eligible for election to all publicly elected bodies;
    (b) To participate in the formulation of government policy and the implementation thereof and to hold public office and perform all public functions at all levels of government;
    (c) To participate in non-governmental organizations and associations concerned with the public and political life of the country.
     
  • International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families: Article 41
    1. Migrant workers and members of their families shall have the right to participate in public affairs of their State of origin and to vote and to be elected at elections of that State, in accordance with its legislation.
    2. The States concerned shall, as appropriate and in accordance with their legislation, facilitate the exercise of these rights.
     
  • Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Article 29
    States Parties to ensure “that voting procedures, facilities and materials are appropriate, accessible and easy to understand and use;” and “where necessary, at [the person with disabilities’] request, allowing assistance in voting by a person of their own choice.

Election-related Violence

Voting Accessibility

  • a. Voter Registration
     
    • UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, Human Rights and Elections: A Handbook on International Human Rights Standards on Elections (2021)
      Noting that “unreasonable barriers to voter registration should be removed, including onerous, burdensome or culturally inadequate administrative requirements for accessing the necessary documentation to exercise the right to vote, especially for women, minorities, indigenous peoples, those living in remote areas and internally displaced persons. Where needed, special measures should be taken to increase the representation of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities as
      voters on the register. With regard to this latter issue, national legal provisions that
      limit the right to vote on grounds of legal capacity should be revoked and legal
      measures should be adopted to ensure that all persons with disabilities, especially
      those with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities, may exercise their right to
      vote.” (footnotes omitted)
       
    • UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, Guidelines for States on the Effective Implementation of the Right to Participate in Public Affairs (2018)
      Para. 36: States should remove unreasonable barriers to voter registration, including onerous or burdensome administrative requirements for accessing the necessary documentation to exercise the right to vote, particularly for women, minorities, indigenous peoples, those living in remote areas and internally displaced persons.
       
    • Human Rights Committee, General Comment 25 (1996):
      Interpreting Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
      Para. 11. “States must take effective measures to ensure that all persons entitled to vote are able to exercise that right. Where registration of voters is required, it should be facilitated and obstacles to such registration should not be imposed. If residence requirements apply to registration, they must be reasonable, and should not be imposed in such a way as to exclude the homeless from the right to vote. Any abusive interference with registration or voting as well as intimidation or coercion of voters should be prohibited by penal laws and those laws should be strictly enforced. Voter education and registration campaigns are necessary to ensure the effective exercise of article 25 rights by an informed community.”

  • b. Special Voting Arrangements: Early Voting, Mail-in and Online Voting
    Forms of special voting arrangements (SVAs) conventionally include early, postal, online, proxy voting and use of mobile ballot boxes.
     

  • c. Accessibility for People with Disabilities
     
    • Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Article 29
      States Parties to ensure “that voting procedures, facilities and materials are appropriate, accessible and easy to understand and use;” and “where necessary, at [the person with disabilities’] request, allowing assistance in voting by a person of their own choice.
       
    • Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities: Article 9
      To enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life, States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure to persons with disabilities access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems, and to other facilities and services open or provided to the public, both in urban and in rural areas. …States Parties shall also take appropriate measures to:
      • Develop, promulgate and monitor the implementation of minimum standards and guidelines for the accessibility of facilities and services open or provided to the public;…
      • Provide forms of live assistance and intermediaries, including guides, readers and professional sign language interpreters, to facilitate accessibility to buildings and other facilities open to the public;
      • Promote other appropriate forms of assistance and support to persons with disabilities to ensure their access to information;
      • Promote access for persons with disabilities to new information and communications technologies and systems, including the Internet;
      • Promote the design, development, production and distribution of accessible information and communications technologies and systems at an early stage, so that these technologies and systems become accessible at minimum cost.

    • UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights, Guidelines for States on the effective implementation of the right to participate in public affairs (2018).
      Para. 38. States should amend their national legal provisions that limit the right to vote on grounds of legal capacity and adopt the legal measures necessary to ensure that all persons with disabilities, especially those with intellectual or psychosocial disabilities, may exercise their right to vote.

      Para. 39. States should take measures to ensure full accessibility for persons with disabilities in all aspects of the electoral process by, inter alia:
      (a) Guaranteeing the free expression of the will of persons with disabilities as electors and to that end, for those who cannot exercise their right to vote independently, and at their request, allowing assistance in voting by a person of their own choice;
      (b) Ensuring accessible voting procedures and facilities, and when full accessibility cannot be guaranteed, providing reasonable accommodation in order to ensure that persons with disabilities can effectively exercise their right to vote;
      (c) Providing training for electoral officials on the rights of persons with disabilities in elections
      (d) Ensuring that electoral and voting materials are appropriate, accessible to the diversity of persons with disabilities and easy to understand and use.

    • UN, Political Participation of Persons with Intellectual or Psychosocial Disabilities (2021)

    • UN Toolkit on Disability for Africa: Participation in Political and Public Life

    • Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE): Persons with Disabilities and Ensuring Their Right to Participate in Political and Public Life

Election Observation

Vote Verification

  • National Democratic Institute, Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) Guide
    Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) - formerly known as “Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT)” - is an election day observation methodology that allows nonpartisan citizen organizations to systematically assess the quality of opening, voting, closing, and counting – as well as official results and, indirectly, the tabulation process – at a national scale and independently verify official results.

Electoral Dispute Resolution

  • Carter Center, International Legal Standards on Electoral Dispute Resolution
     
  • IDEA, Electoral Justice Database
    The Electoral Justice Database provides global comparative data on Election Dispute Resolution mechanisms for 178 countries and territories across the globe.

 

Useful Organizations

International, Inter-Governmental Organizations

International Non-Governmental Organizations (non-partisan, nonprofit)

Regional Organizations (non-partisan)

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