The field of electoral management is being reshaped, as many of the foundational assumptions crafted in the 1990s no longer apply as initially imagined. From the 1990s, the shaping of the professional norms of election management was shaped by democratisation practices introduced in one context and spreading, such as the emphasis on civic education (South Africa), citizen observation (the Philippines), and electoral justice (Mexico). While Australia and Canada have been (and remain) global leaders in election administration, much of Europe and the USA have been remarkably complacent and distanced from the vibrant global discussions on what constitutes the full ecosystem of actors and practices for an excellently run election. Until now. 

This seminar will explore the intersection between the decline of electoral assistance funding globally and the ‘awakening’ of interest in Europe and the United States to concepts of election management body (EMB) independence and professionalism, and what these shifts may mean for the future of the field of election administration.

Dr. Therese Pearce Laanela serves as Head of Programme - Electoral Processes at International IDEA. With over thirty years of experience in elections and electoral assistance at the field, headquarters, and policy levels, her current focus is developing cutting-edge knowledge resources to support a global election practitioner community.  Through previous affiliations with the Carter Centre, the United Nations, IFES, the OSCE, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and the European Union, she has served as project lead or senior expert in international election observer missions, electoral assistance missions, capacity building projects and speaking engagements across Africa, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Her MA degree from the University of Stockholm focused on the links between political financing, corruption and electoral systems in Japan; her PhD from the Australian National University focused on rebuilding trust in electoral institutions.