RSVP requested (email main [at] cepr.net)

Haiti is in the midst of an unprecedented electoral cycle, with three elections scheduled in 2015. With legislative and local elections long delayed, the entire 118-member lower house, two-thirds of the Senate, the President and all local officials will be elected this year. The United States has already contributed $25 million for the process and has pledged an additional $5 million. The first round of legislative elections took place on August 9, though election day was plagued by extremely low voter turnout, violence and other irregularities. Nearly 25 percent of votes were never counted. The next round will include presidential elections and is scheduled to take place on October 25. This panel of Haitian and U.S. experts will examine the causes of the problems of August 9 and discuss steps that must be taken to ensure that the next two rounds of elections result in legitimately-elected authorities.