Senior Program Manager, National Democratic Institute (NDI)

Michael McNulty is a senior program manager for the National Democratic Institute's (NDI)

Elections & Political Processes Team. He has more than 15 years of experience managing and

providing technical assistance for democracy support programs in Europe, Africa, Asia and

Latin America on citizen and international election observation, civil society advocacy,

political party strengthening, and electoral reform. Before joining NDI's Elections Team, he

managed civil society and elections programs in NDI’s Ukraine office and was the Washington

DC-based manager for NDI's programs in Central Asia and Turkey. Before joining NDI, he

worked for a local government strengthening program in Peru, launched a civil society

program in Afghanistan, developed publications on microfinance in conflict-affected

countries, and managed international development programs for Chemonics International. He

has also worked on international election observation missions with the Organization for

Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Network of Election Monitoring

Organizations (ENEMO). Michael earned his M.A. in International Relations from SAIS at Johns

Hopkins University and his B.A. from Ohio State University.

Michael McNulty

Electoral Transparency and Open Election Data

Michael McNulty, NDI

3rd Asian Electoral Stakeholder Forum

Kuta, Bali, Indonesia │ August 23, 2016

Transparency of Election Processes

• Each step is open to scrutiny

• Stakeholders can independently verify whether process is conducted honestly and accurately

Fundamental Human Right

• Right of citizens to seek, receive and impart information – UDHR (art. 19)

• Right to participate in public affairs - ICCPR (art. 25)

• “…all necessary and appropriate measures to ensure the transparency of the entire electoral process” -- IPU Declaration on Criteria for Free and Fair Elections (art. 4.7)

Why Transparency Matters to Electoral Integrity

• Direct link between transparency and trust

• Fundamental to public confidence

• Elections belong to the people, so information (data) about election processes belongs to the people

But Transparency is Not Enough

• Not just for sake of transparency

• Helps promote: – Inclusion: inclusion and public engagement in the

process

– Accountability: ability to hold electoral actors accountable

– Competitiveness: equitable opportunity to be elected

Types of Election Data

• Legal framework

• Decisionmaking processes

• Voter information and Polling stations

• Campaign finance

• Voter registry

• Procurement documents and process

• Party registration and Ballot qualification

• Technology-related information

• Electoral violence incidents

• Polling station level results

• Complaints, disputes and resolution

Principles of Open Election Data

Complete, Bulk

Timely Granular Available for Free

Analyzable Non-Proprietary

Non-Discriminatory License-Free Permanently Available

Uses of Open Election Data

• Improve effectiveness of election officials

• Increase voter participation

• Increase citizen engagement

• Enhance participation of marginalized groups

• Reduce tension and dispel rumors

• Generate new insights on electoral improvements

Momentum

What’s my district?

Who are the candidates?

Am I registered to vote?

Examples: Increasing Public Confidence

Open Data Lessons and Debates

• Adapting benchmarks based on context

• Retrofitting is more difficult and costly

• Over-emphasis on election day

• New technologies in elections

• Trade-offs? – Privacy and efficiency

Global Dialogue: EMBs and Observers

open election data.net

openelectiondata@ndi.org

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