(4-10 May 2008)

The Electoral Management study tour took place from May 4, 2008 till May 10 2008, in the Republics of Hungary and Croatia, organized by the ACEEEO, organized and funded by the SUNY, and supported by IFES, for selected members of the Jordanian Ministry of Interior, representatives of parliament and the judiciary.

The purpose of this study tour was to expose the Jordanian delegation to different models of electoral administration, i.e. a country with a mixed model of administration, and a country where an independent body is fully responsible for conducting elections.

In Hungary, participants met with the independent National Election Committee and the National Election Office in the Ministry of Interior. Representatives of these bodies introduced the Jordanian delegation to the way elections are conducted in Hungary and focus on electoral legislation, organization of the National Election Committee and the National Election Office in the Ministry of Interior, the use of information technology in organizing elections, electoral operations and the resolution of electoral disputes.

An added advantage of visiting Hungary is that the Association for European Election Officials (the ACEEEO - formerly the Association of Central and Eastern European Election Officials), is based in Budapest, Hungary. This association aims to increase the professionalism of election administrators and others involved in the electoral process in member states, and to encourage election professionals to witness and learn from the work of their colleagues across Europe. Representatives from the ACEEEO introduced the delegation to the way a regional professional body functions and the ways in which it supports the professional development of its members.

It would be beneficial to visit a second country, such as neighboring Croatia, where an independent election management body is fully responsible for conducting elections.