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DCHA/Office of Transition Initiatives

MALI
ANKA ELERI CTIONS PROGRAMMING UPDATE
AUGUST 1, 2013
SUPPORTING AN ELECTIONS-RELATED HOTLINE AND MAPPING PLATFORM: OTI supported a Malian volunteer youth
group, SOS Dmocratie to create an elections-related hotline and mapping platform, allowing Malians to obtain information about the electoral process and report incidences of fraud, violence, or intimidation during campaigning and Election Day. Citizens could report incidents by phone or SMS that were then documented and plotted on an open source map (www.mali2013.net) for real-time elections monitoring. Volunteers working the hotlines were fluent in four Malian local languages, making the hotline more accessible to citizens throughout Mali regardless of their literacy capacity. The hotline received over 8,000 calls.

OTI supported hotlines for citizens to obtain information about voting and to report incidences of fraud.

MOBILIZING YOUTH TO GET OUT THE VOTE: To increase voter turnout, OTI
supported a youth organization, Jeune Chambre Internationale, to mobilize 200 volunteers who went door-to-door and visited markets, bus stations, and other public venues, encouraging young people to vote in the July 28 presidential elections. The threeday campaign operated in 27 cities and towns across Mali, including Bamako, Mopti, Gao, Timbuktu, Segou, and Koulikoro. Volunteers distributed 300,000 fliers in three days.

SUPPORTING A YOUTH-LED PEACE CARAVAN: OTI supported a youth group's

20-day peace tour throughout Mali. Jeune Chambre Internationale, a youth group with chapters in most cities throughout Mali, organized this 20-day "peace caravan." Roundtable discussions were held with communities from Kayes to Timbuktu to deliver messages of peace, tolerance, understanding, civic responsibilities, and the importance of participation in the upcoming national elections. The tour began June 8 and ended on June 26 after visiting 23 towns throughout seven of Malis eight regions.

OTI supported 200 youth volunteers who encouraged people to vote in the July 28 presidential elections. The three-day campaign operated in 27 cities and towns across Mali; volunteers distributed 300,000 fliers in three days.

PRINTING AND DISSEMINATION OF CEPPS ELECTION RELATED MATERIAL: OTI worked with USAIDs Consortium for Elections and Political Processes Strengthening (CEPPS) partners to provide surge capacity for printing and dissemination of election-related information such as the code of conduct signed by 25 of the 28 candidates, civic education materials, and others. These included 20,000 posters created by the International Republican Institute (IRI) on the voting process and radio advertisements for the National Democratic Institutes (NDI) Code of Good Conduct signed by all of the main presidential candidates.

ENCOURAGING WOMEN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE TRANSITION: OTI

sought to increase women's participation in the upcoming elections through a series of debates as part of a radio campaign. Over the span of five weeks, Coordination des Associations et ONG Fminines du Mali (CAFO), a Malian association of women's organizations, facilitated ten debates throughout Mali with opinion-leading women about elections, peace and reconciliation, and the need for women to play a more active role in these processes. These debates were recorded and distributed to radio stations most popular amongst women in order to reach those living outside of urban centers throughout Mali. The final public debate featured U.S. Ambassador Mary Beth Leonard as the guest of honor and keynote speaker, and drew a crowd of more the 100 women.

USING SMS TO INCREASE VOTER TURNOUT: To increase awareness of

U.S. Ambassador Mary-Beth Leonard was the keynote speaker at the finale of an OTI-supported public debate series designed to encourage women to participate in the upcoming elections.

the voting process and facilitate smooth elections, OTI supported a blast text message to all Orange mobile phone subscribers throughout Mali for the first round and an additional blast to Orange and Malitel users for the run-off. The text message, drafted by the General Delegation to Elections (DGE), one of Mali's electoral management bodies, encouraged voters to call the DGE hotline to obtain information about their polling stations prior to Election Day. Messages were sent nationwide to approximately 6.5 million Orange users (twice) and 5 million Malitel users.

HELPING VOTERS FIND THEIR BOOTHS: In the first round of

the presidential election on July 28, voters had difficulty identifying their polling station among up to 60 other booths in voting centers meant to accommodate up to 25,000 voters. To ease confusion, OTI supported the deployment of 370 technicians with barcode readers to the largest centers across the country to help voters find their booths.

SUPPORTING ELECTIONS AND PEACE MESSAGING: OTI

worked with the National Democratic Institute-trained domestic electoral observation organization Support to Malis Electoral Process (Appui au Processus Electoral au Mali APEM) to air radio and TV spots spreading messages of peace encouraging Malians to accept the final electoral results. The spots also focused on decreasing the instances of spoiled ballots in the run-off. There were over 400,000 spoiled ballots in the first round.

In the first round of presidential elections on July 28, voters had a hard time finding their assigned booths, as the centers were often crowded and confusing. In response, OTI deployed 370 technicians with barcode readers to the largest centers of the country, making it easier for Malians to cast their votes.