Quick, reliable information about election results and processes is essential to ensure confidence in elections. Equipped with strong data that is rapidly collected and analyzed, unbiased observers can dispel (or verify) rumors about an election and help strengthen public trust in the results. This is where innovative technologies play a crucial role. New technologies can minimize the often time-consuming process of collecting, cleaning, and analyzing large amounts of data originating from thousands of polling stations nationwide.

This week, NDI launched its new Arabic-language e-learning and training platform TaalamSharek.org, or “learn-engage” in English. Redesigned with support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), this platform, which is also designed to be used on mobile phones, represents a new era in online engagement with and among democracy advocates in the Middle East and North Africa.

On December 9, over 300 people attended, in person or via livestream, the National Democratic Institute’s (NDI) unveiling of DemTools 2.0, a new online, open-source toolbox that will help citizens report problems in their communities, help civic groups manage data, and better prepare governments to better understand and respond to citizens' concerns.