Letter from the President/CEO Since 1987, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems has supported the growth of democratic stability around the world, primarily by focusing on increasing the credibility and effectiveness of Election Day administration. As the global community has become increasingly interconnected, and election events from Florida to Afghanistan and from Minnesota to the Ivory Coast have captured the attention of the general public, there is an increased need to ensure that elections are free, fair, and credibly administered. To accomplish this, the complaints adjudication process must be transparent and reliable, and the final outcome must be accepted by all losing parties, the media and, of course, the voters. Guidelines for Understanding, Adjudicating, and Resolving Disputes in Elections (GUARDE) was conceived and written with that objective in mind. We hope that it will provide election officials and other key stakeholders with information on international standards and best practices in complaints adjudication to ensure that the process is credible and accepted by the public. GUARDE is the culmination of a two-year long effort at IFES, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as a part of technical leadership programming by the Consortium for Election and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS). As a member of CEPPS, IFES works to employ innovative techniques to support partners as they pursue reform objectives. Key among these objectives is the need for practical tools to ensure that electoral justice is pursued in a fair, effective, and credible manner. My most sincere thanks go out to the enthusiastic team of writers, editors, and expert reviewers who produced this guidebook. Their dedication to addressing this important and complex issue has ensured that this publication will have an enduring usefulness for election stakeholders around the globe. Bill Sweeney IFES President/ CEO i