Election Administration of Georgia Good Practice – Georgian Experience Tamar Zhvania,

1. 2015 Election Administration of Georgia Good Practice – Georgian Experience Tamar Zhvania, Chairperson of the Central Election Commission March 2015

2. Assessment Reports 2015 “The CEC managed the electoral preparations in a professional, transparent, and timely manner and enjoyed a high level of stakeholder confidence”. OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission Final Report on 2013 Presidential elections “We congratulate the CEC for its professionalism, which was reflected in the successful administration of the elections” Joint statement of the Embassies of the United States, United Kingdom and the Netherlands on Georgia’s Municipal Elections, June 16, 2014

3. WHERE DO WE STAND TODAY 2015 Public opinion research shows: • Public trust towards the CEC has risen from 16% in Sep-2013 to 37% in Nov-2013 • Following the 2014 Municipal elections, the CEC is among the top three most effective and trusted institutions in the country.

4. Question 2015 • How did the CEC-Georgia get there?

5. CEC’s FOCUS 2015 WWW.CESKO.GE • Training election administration staff and other election stakeholders; • Informing voters; • Improving electoral legislation; • Engaging election stakeholders; • Ensuring equal election environment for all election stakeholders; • Institutional strengthening.

6. I. Training Election Administration Staff and other election stakeholders 2015 WWW.CESKO.GE Training programs and seminars • Election Administration • DECs – election disputes/ best practices; • Lawyers of local municipalities; • Media representatives; • Election Observers; • Representatives of election subjects; • Groups working on national minorities and disabled people; • Penitentiary system staff; • General Court judges.

7. II. Informing Voters 2015 WWW.CESKO.GE • CEC website and election map; • CEC hotline; • Rigorous information campaign: • Voter cards and informational stickers; • Informational posters; • Educational videos/audio files; • Social media; • Small grants issued to local non-governmental organizations via the CEC Training Center to educate voters on election related issues; • Educational projects targeting students.

8. III. Improving Electoral Legislation 2015 WWW.CESKO.GE • Coordinated work with the Parliament and other decision makers to produce sound legislative amendments in the lead up to elections; • Series of technical and procedural amendments submitted to the Parliament’s inter-faction group that was later adopted by the Parliament; • Piloting voter lists with voters’ photo identification.

9. IV. Engaging election stakeholders • Regular roundtable discussions with civil society representatives and media (IFES); • Regular roundtable discussions with political party representatives (IRI); • Technical Working Group meetings - TWG (EU-UNDP); • Working Group on National Minority Issues; • Working Group on Disabled Voters; • CEC Gender Equality Commission.

10. V. Ensuring equal election environment(1) 2015 WWW.CESKO.GE National Minorities • Informational Meetings; • Informational campaign and printed material in national minority languages. Voters with disabilities • Magnifying sheetsat every polling station; • Adapted precincts; • Adapted voting booths for people in wheelchairs; • Portable ramps; • Mobile group services; • Videos on electoral procedures targeting voters with hearing disabilities were provided in all the relevant precincts; • A map of adapted precincts was created and published on the CEC’s website. • Sign Language translation services.

11. V. Ensuring equal election environment(2) 2015 WWW.CESKO.GE Supporting Gender Equality: • During the 2014 municipal elections, the CEC for the first time issued complete data set on women’s participation in the elections; • Now we can track how many women ran in the elections, how many women were elected, how many women were in the voters list and how many women voted; • CEC conducted series of procedural trainings for women candidates; • CEC conducted trainings for its female DEC members on gender issues and leadership; • CEC’s Training Center issued small grants to local non-governmental organizations working on gender issues

12. VI. Institutional Strengthening • Strategic Planning • Communication Plan • Internal and external • Capacity building programs for staff and DECs • Improved management • New reporting system • Budgeting process • The Election Process Management System (EPMS) • Staff evaluation system put in place • Improved web-site

13. Lessons Learned 2015 WWW.CESKO.GE • Election stakeholders should have uniform understanding of election rules: • MOU signed between seven non-governmental organizations and inter-agency taskforce, a mechanism to ensure uniform understanding of a legal provisions; • Effective mechanisms for identifying needs should be put in place to ensure equal election environment for all election stakeholders; • Regular dialogue with civil sector and political parties to prevent conflicts and introduce rapid reaction mechanisms should be put in place; • Effective mechanisms for regular communication with voters should be put in place; • Regular and effective system for planning, monitoring and evaluation should be put in place.

14. Future Plans WWW.CESKO.GE Election Administration will: • Conduct regular internal and external assessment of the organization; • Monitor and implement the Election Administration’s five year Strategic Plan. • Continue to develop and offer quality training and professional development programs to election administration workers at all levels; • Engage in the electoral reform process within its competence; • Meet regularly with all election stakeholders so the CEC is more prepared for the next election cycle; • Conduct trainings for election administration workers at all levels on gender issues; • Pilot Election Administration Summer Schools (Election Schools) in 10 regional centers throughout the country. These schools will offer educational programs on election and gender issues; • Assist secondary schools in organizing and administering school elections.

15. Questions?