The participants of the preparatory conference in 1991 resolved that the countries of the region would cooperate in the future in the interest of free elections in the framework of a new institution and that they would establish ACEEEO.

The election officials from Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Yugoslavia signed a Charter to create this regional organisation of election officials that would ensure constant and regular exchange of information among the election officials of the member countries. ACEEEO's Charter was later signed by the representatives of Estonia, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Russia, and the Ukraine. The Charter on the establishment of ACEEEO was supported by the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), as well as the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES).

The founding meeting of ACEEEO determined the Association's goals as follows:

  1. Fostering transparent election systems,
  2. Discussing problems encountered during the institutionalisation of free, democratic and fair elections,
  3. Inviting election observers to countries on a mutual basis so as to increase common professional knowledge, and
  4. Sharing information among the members in order to aid the further development of democratic electoral processes.

The founding election officials also agreed to hold annual conferences on the theoretical and practical issues related to elections, and resolved that membership in the Association must be open to every applicant country.

The Executive board of ACEEEO comprises of the representatives of five countries and its Secretariat and Documentation Centre is located in Budapest.

Founding Fathers:

Richard W. Soudriette
IFES, USA

Jack Zetkulic
OSCE-ODIHR

Kazimierz Wojciech Czaplicki
Head of the National Electoral Office, Poland

Dr Andrzej Florczyk
The National Electoral Office of Poland

Bernard Owen
The Centre of Comparative Political Studies
Secretary General, France

Maris Steins
Head of the Parliamentary Office of Latvia

Kestutis Lapinskas
Member of Parliament, Lithuania

Luchino Cortese
OSCE-ODIHR

Theodor Mircea Vaida
Secretary of State, Council of Ministers, Romania

F. Clifton White
IFES President, USA

Nikolaj L. Valtchanov
Member of the Central Electoral Committee, Bulgaria

Dr Jiri Masek
The Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic

Riho Laanemäe
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Estonia

Igor Savolski
Russian Embassy, Budapest

Dr Pál Kara
Deputy Secretary of State, Hungary

Dr Márta Dezső
Assistant Professor, Hungary

Dr Zoltán Tóth
Ministry of Interior, Hungary