ElectionGuide data may be used freely for personal and non-commercial purposes such as research and teaching, provided appropriate attribution is made to IFES ElectionGuide. Any changes to the data must be clearly indicated; IFES is not responsible for any changes made to the data by non-IFES-affiliated actors.
For all other commercial purposes, please contact electionguide@ifes.org.
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) supports democracy around the globe, including by ensuring that technology, data, AI, and the internet positively serve elections and democracies and that informed publics are actively engaged in fostering democratic culture and values.
A strong information ecosystem is vital for a democracy to thrive. IFES provides accurate information about electoral and political processes through databases like ElectionGuide and ElectionJudgments. IFES maintains full institutional independence in the design and execution of such research, products, and analytical activities, and we are committed to disseminating this data broadly, both within the democracy and governance community and outside it.
To protect the integrity and independence of our work, IFES has established strong institutional safeguards:
Our policies are communicated publicly.
Paid subscriptions from for-profit companies are tracked, accounted for and reported on separately from funding that comes from public and other sources to help ensure that such funds are used in accordance with IFES and our community’s expectations.
In accordance with IFES’ Conflict of Interest policy, staff as well as members of the Board of Directors must disclose any financial interest in an entity with which IFES has a financial relationship and recuse themselves from discussion and voting on any issues related to corporate or other sources in which a conflict of interest exists.
IFES will take steps as needed to minimize risks to the organization of providing data and information to for-profit companies, and will update this policy accordingly.