About us
Our history
ELECTIO LAB is a specialized training and research laboratory founded in October 2023 in Panama City by three seasoned practitioners in election observation. With over 20 years of combined experience working with prestigious international organizations — the UN, the OSCE and OSCE-ODIHR, the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute, the Carter Center and ENEMO — alongside direct connections with other prominent regional organizations dedicated to election observation training, ELECTIO LAB stands at the forefront of expertise in this field.
Hands-on learning
At ELECTIO LAB, we believe in the power of experiential learning. Our commitment to capacity building drives us to equip election observers with unparalleled firsthand experience in the intricate election observation process. Our comprehensive training programs are designed to complement the formal education provided by universities and other institutions, bridging the gap between theory and practice by immersing participants in real-life electoral processes.
The essence of our approach lies in providing practical, on-site training during actual electoral events, both local and national. By placing participants at the heart of electoral processes, ELECTIO LAB equips them with the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to observe elections effectively — preparing future observers for the real-life situations they will encounter in missions such as the European Union Election Observation Missions (EU EOM), the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE-ODIHR), and other international organizations dedicated to election observation.
Research
As a research lab, ELECTIO LAB aspires to make meaningful contributions to democratic governance by fostering interdisciplinary research, critical thinking and evidence-based policy solutions. In cooperation with universities and academic institutions, our research focuses on democratic institutions, political participation, democratic values, and democratic transitions and consolidation.