Subseries 6.2 - International Election and Democracy Projects

Identity area

Reference code

UTA 2009-6-6.2

Title

International Election and Democracy Projects

Date(s)

  • 1995-2020 (Creation)

Level of description

Subseries

Extent and medium

0.41 m of textual records (3 boxes)
116 digital files (38 MB)

Context area

Name of creator

(1948-)

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Subseries consists of records documenting Nevitte’s activities as a technical advisor to the NDI, Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and several of their local partners. Much of Nevitte’s consulting work relates to election monitoring, the detection and prevention of election fraud, and the conditions for free and fair elections. The records reflect several projects spanning from 1995 to 2020 in countries including Bangladesh, Bolivia, Burma, Cambodia, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jamaica, Maldives, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Peru, and Venezuela. Several of the projects involved the collection of politically sensitive information. Consequently, the polling firm that conducted the Hong Kong Surveys was raided by the authorities. Materials include contracts, invoices, correspondence, survey questionnaires, datasets, findings, figures, tables, and reports.

Subseries also includes The Quick Count and Election Observation: An NDI Handbook for Civic Organizations and Political Parties, a printed monograph co-authored by Neil Nevitte, Melissa Estok, and Glenn Cowan, and related chapter drafts and outlines. This handbook explains Nevitte’s Quick Count methodology (also known as Parallel Vote Tabulation), which applies statistical theory estimate and compare the final election results using the vote counts of a few randomly selected polling stations to quickly and reliably detect election fraud. The Quick Count methodology is now an international standard and has been applied to several NDI projects around the globe including an observation of the highly controversial Peruvian general election in 2000.

Digital files consist of records relating to the Quick Count methodology as well as projects in Bangladesh, Burma, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Maldives, Morocco, Nicaragua, and Hong Kong.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Files are arranged chronologically.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Open

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

  • English
  • French
  • Spanish

Script of material

    Language and script notes

    Physical characteristics and technical requirements

    Digital formats include text files (PDF and Microsoft Word) and spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel).

    Finding aids

    Uploaded finding aid

    Allied materials area

    Existence and location of originals

    Existence and location of copies

    Related units of description

    Related descriptions

    Notes area

    Alternative identifier(s)

    Reference number

    B2021-0011/011(09) – (18), /012 – /013, /014(01) – (09)

    Digital folders

    B2021-0011_df007 – B2021-0011_df009

    Access points

    Subject access points

    Place access points

    Name access points

    Genre access points

    Description control area

    Description identifier

    Institution identifier

    Rules and/or conventions used

    Dates of creation revision deletion

    Language(s)

      Script(s)

        Sources

        Accession area