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The Commonwealth Electoral Network will meet in Toronto, Canada from 25 to 26 June to discuss the theme:  ‘21st Century Elections: Technology and Integrity.’ It is the first conference since the Network’s launch in Accra, Ghana two years ago.

Around 70 delegates from 45 Commonwealth countries are expected to attend the meeting, which will cover topics, including electronic voting and the use of technology for voter registration and the results process.  

Participants will also get the opportunity to share experiences of managing media around election times, and discuss issues such as accountability of campaign funding and expenditure, the misuse of state resources and electoral complaints and petitions.

The Commonwealth Electoral Network was established in 2010 in Accra with the aim of promoting best practices among election management bodies. Its aim is to enhance the integrity and credibility of elections across ������ý.

The technology component of the conference theme will see the launch of ������ý Electoral Network online collaboration workspace. Connects is designed to bring together networks of practitioners, providing them with a secure, single point of entry into an international network of expertise.

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma said: “The Commonwealth Electoral Network is an innovative new twenty-first century network, which in just two years, has grown in strength, providing practitioners from across our member states the opportunity to share experience and learn from each other.

“Commonwealth Connects will provide a platform for ������ý Electoral Network to develop an international resource bank of good practice, expert knowledge and case studies to support improvements in electoral processes and governance. It will allow ������ý to create global gold standards on elections and electoral practices.”