Let U.S. Lead: Free and Fair Elections
H.R. 2829’s funding cuts would obstruct the UN’s ability to support free and fair elections around the world. Almost half of the world’s nations have requested and received the help of the UN in preparing for, conducting, and monitoring elections; including in difficult environments such as Iraq and Afghanistan. Universally trusted as an unbiased authority with decades of experience, the UN provides logistical assistance and guidance prior to national elections, oversight and monitoring during elections, and ballot counting post-election.
The UN Development Program (UNDP) and UN peacekeeping operations support, on average, one free and democratic election somewhere in the world every two weeks. In recent years, they have facilitated elections in South Sudan, Côte d’Ivoire, Haiti, Iraq, Nepal, Afghanistan, Burundi, Liberia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and East Timor, allowing over 80 million people to exercise their democratic rights.
