IFES Practitioner Brief on Alternative Dispute Resolution in Elections In the absence of a clear legal mandate to adjudicate disputes, the EC proactively established Complaints Centers to receive disputes for the first time in the 2015 elections. The composition, powers, and complaint handling procedures of the Complaints Centers cannot be classified as EDR proceedings, but rather as an ADR mechanism. Indeed, the Complaints Centers were used as a mechanism for election officials to engage in discussion and mediate disputes raised by voters or parties and, when needed, to refer complaints to the courts or law enforcement. Complainants often expected the Complaints Centers to issue decisions and impose remedies, although they lacked the power to do so. For the 2019 election, the EC established 25 district election complaints management centers (DECMCs) and a national complaint center at its headquarters. 150 The EC made some data available to observers, as the EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) noted that 3,905 complaints had been reported. 151 The EC also developed a number of voter education materials to make stakeholders aware of this ADR mechanism, producing a flowchart, a leaflet, and videos. These documents clearly explain the powers of the DECMC to refer complaints to relevant institutions or to mediate disputes. The EU EOM report noted that complaints to the EC and DECMCs “were responded to in various ways, including through letters of investigation to other state authorities, the removal of non-permitted campaign material and mediation in minor disputes.” In the 2019 election, the role of Complaints Centers appears to have moved closer to that of a conventional EDR mechanism, with the adoption of rules stipulating the referral, but the DECMC and the EC still lack adjudication powers. The EU report noted a lack of followup information about the outcomes of complaints and a lack of unified rules and timelines in the handling of complaints. The EU EOM recommends that the EC issue clear, codified procedures and coordinate recordkeeping by the various bodies involved. 150 European Union election observation mission final report: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka – Presidential election, 16 November 2019. (2020). https://www.eods.eu/library/sl2019_final_report_24_january_2020.pdf 151 Between 8 October and 14 November, the EC received 3,905 complaints. Only 27 were related to violent incidents. The police deployed 173 personnel for elections under the direction and control of the EC and played a prominent role in the coordination and investigation of complaints and allegations. 60