Elections stand as the most public demonstration of a country’s democratic ideals and freedoms. The level of stability surrounding an election can serve to both reflect and/or direct the larger-scale political stability of a country. To address the potential impact and high-profile of elections, USAID’s Center of Democracy, Human Rights and Governance (DRG Center) has dedicated itself to supporting electoral stability and security in countries around the world. As a culmination of more than a decade of electoral security programming, this week USAID is launching its most recent and comprehensive publication, “Best Practices in Electoral Security: A Guide for Democracy, Human Rights and Governance Programming.” Funded by USAID’s DRG Center and authored by Creative Associates International’s Jeff Fischer and Patrick Quirk as a companion to USAID’s Electoral Security Framework (2010), USAID’s Best Practices in Electoral Security Guide serves as a unifying report documenting international best practices in electoral security programming throughout an election cycle. Creative congratulates USAID on the launch of this groundbreaking publication and its continued efforts to support successful and secure elections in developing democracies!