NDI Inclusive Election Reformation Project

The National Democratic Institute joined hands with the DOJF to initiate this project on Inclusive Election Reformation. Started in September 2021 this project will go on for one year.

Through this programmatic intervention, DOJF and its sub-cluster members plan to focus on accessibility issues facing marginalized groups including physical accessibility to polling stations and the ability to cast a vote, access to electoral information as well as the targeting of electoral information/voter education to meet the needs of marginalized communities.

The DOJF will also contextualize the program intervention against the backdrop of global political and socio-economic dynamics which have come to bear on marginalized people in the Sri Lankan context. Politically, this means that the DOJF and other disability organizations are utilizing their existing networks and will use the sub-cluster under this program to advocate for their election rights in the context of implementing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in Sri Lanka.

Project Objectives

1. Coordinate and implement electoral reform advocacy and lead the CSO working group focused on participation and inclusion in elections.

2. Identify the major electoral issues that affect persons with disabilities and other marginalized communities in relation to the electoral process.

3. Develop the capacities of key electoral stakeholders to create awareness on participatory and inclusive electoral reforms, including disability data and strategies.

4. Take forward electoral reform recommendations under the participation and inclusion cluster towards implementation.

5. Create a synergy with sub-cluster members and across clusters in order to jointly advocate for electoral reforms.