In recent years, several African countries have witnessed a decline in democracy. In these circumstances, citizens need to resist authoritarianism for democratic renewal. Free, transparent, inclusive, fair and peaceful elections are this safeguard in several countries on the continent. However, they are not a universal remedy. 

Like all pillars of democracy, electoral processes face existential threats such as institutional capture, vote-rigging, lack of voter education, voter suppression and cyber-threats that compromise the integrity of elections.

In order to guard against the shortcomings of our electoral systems, the Action for a Holistic Electoral Approach towards Democracy (AHEAD Africa) project was launched last Wednesday in Nairobi, Kenya, in the presence of about sixty civil society actors from across the continent.

AfricTivistes, the African Election Observation Network (AfEONET), which includes the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN), the Electoral Support Network for Southern Africa (ESN-SA) ; the East and Horn of Africa Election Observer Network (E-HORN), the West African Election Observer Network (WAEON) and the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) make up the AHEAD Africa consortium, which over the next four years will work at national (target countries), regional and continental levels. 

As part of AHEAD Africa, AfricTivistes will be promoting digital innovation and civic technology (civic tech) for transparent and democratic electoral processes across the continent. It will also put citizens at the forefront of the quest for sustainable solutions to the fragility of democratic practices using digital and new technologies.

With this in mind, AfricTivistes is proposing an innovation laboratory dedicated to strengthening electoral processes in Africa. This monitoring, alert, subsidy and citizen participation laboratory has 5 main components:  

AfricTivistes, the African Election Observation Network (AfEONET), which includes the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN), the Electoral Support Network for Southern Africa (ESN-SA) ; the East and Horn of Africa Election Observer Network (E-HORN), the West African Election Observer Network (WAEON) and the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD) make up the AHEAD Africa consortium, which over the next four years will work at national (target countries), regional and continental levels. 

As part of AHEAD Africa, AfricTivistes will be promoting digital innovation and civic technology (civic tech) for transparent and democratic electoral processes across the continent. It will also put citizens at the forefront of the quest for sustainable solutions to the fragility of democratic practices using digital and new technologies.

With this in mind, AfricTivistes is proposing an innovation laboratory dedicated to strengthening electoral processes in Africa. This monitoring, alert, subsidy and citizen participation laboratory has 5 main components:  

Online one-stop shop: a web platform for civil society that centralises information on elections and electoral processes in Africa.

Mobile School: an online training programme accessible to all in the form of a MOOC that raises awareness and develops the skills of civil society and citizens in electoral processes, leadership, advocacy and other topics. In addition, regional seminars will be organised annually to rethink the role of civil society in elections.

Mapping of citizen observation initiatives: a digital tool that lists and identifies the various initiatives for citizen observation of elections in Africa.

Africa ElectionLab Centre: This centre will provide technical and financial support to the Situation Rooms of civil society organisations in the target countries for the presidential elections. An Electoral Hackathon will bring together developers, designers, security experts and civil society actors to create and improve technological tools for electoral processes.

Grant and technical support mechanism for citizens’ electoral observation initiatives: this aims to provide financial and technical support for citizens’ electoral observation and advocacy initiatives in Africa.

About AHEAD Africa 

• AHEAD Africa is a pan-African project focusing on the multiple facets of the electoral cycle on the continent. It aims to empower African civil society, including citizen observers, to strengthen electoral systems and processes, in order to contribute to the improvement of electoral integrity in African Union member states through :capacity building, knowledge generation and monitoring, collaboration and networking, advocacy

This three-year project (2024-2027) is being implemented by a consortium of election observation and democracy support networks: AfricTivistes, Democracy Reporting International (DRI), the European Partnership for Democracy (EPD), the African Election Observation Network (AfEONET), which includes the Electoral Support Network for Southern Africa (ESN-SA), the East and Horn of Africa Election Observer Network (E-HORN) and the West African Election Observer Network (WAEON), as well as national election networks of civil society organisations.