New Delhi : In a global recognition of India’s commitment to free, fair and transparent elections, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar will assume the Chairship of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) on December 3, 2026, in Stockholm, Sweden, representing India.
Founded in 1995, International IDEA is an inter-governmental organisation comprising 35 member countries, with the United States and Japan serving as Observers. The organisation has held observer status at the UN General Assembly since 2003.
India, one of the founding members of International IDEA, has been actively involved in its governance and has partnered on electoral research, capacity building and training initiatives.
As the world’s largest democracy with over 900 million voters, India will bring its vast experience in election administration to the Chairship in 2026, helping strengthen Election Management Bodies globally.
ANNEXURE
India to Chair International IDEA – 2026 (35 Member and 2 Observer Democracies)
| Sl. No. | Country | Registered Electors | Sl. No. | Country | Registered Electors |
| 1 | India (to chair IIDEA – 2026) | 991,000,000 | 20 | Dominican Republic (Member) | 8,145,548 |
| 2 | United States (Observer) | 234,504,358 | 21 | Tunisia (Member) | 7,853,447 |
| 3 | Indonesia (Member) | 204,421,612 | 22 | Sweden (Member) | 7,775,390 |
| 4 | Brazil (Member) | 155,557,422 | 23 | Benin (Member) | 6,769,817 |
| 5 | Japan (Observer) | 103,880,749 | 24 | Switzerland (Member) | 5,585,212 |
| 6 | Mexico (Member) | 98,214,289 | 25 | Finland (Member) | 4,540,437 |
| 7 | Philippines (Member) | 68,431,965 | 26 | Norway (Member) | 4,058,875 |
| 8 | Germany (Member) | 60,490,603 | 27 | Costa Rica (Member) | 3,491,078 |
| 9 | France (Member) | 43,328,470 | 28 | Panama (Member) | 2,757,823 |
| 10 | Spain (Member) | 37,467,458 | 29 | Uruguay (Member) | 2,727,120 |
| 11 | Canada (Member) | 28,525,638 | 30 | Mongolia (Member) | 2,089,935 |
| 12 | South Africa (Member) | 27,782,081 | 31 | Namibia (Member) | 1,449,569 |
| 13 | Peru (Member) | 25,287,954 | 32 | Botswana (Member) | 1,038,275 |
| 14 | Ghana (Member) | 18,774,159 | 33 | Mauritius (Member) | 1,002,857 |
| 15 | Australia (Member) | 18,098,797 | 34 | Estonia (Member) | 966,129 |
| 16 | Chile (Member) | 15,779,102 | 35 | Cabo Verde (Member) | 392,899 |
| 17 | Netherlands (Member) | 13,589,128 | 36 | Luxembourg (Member) | 286,711 |
| 18 | Portugal (Member) | 10,850,215 | 37 | Barbados (Member) | 266,330 |
| 19 | Belgium (Member) | 8,368,029 | Total | 2,225,549,481 |
Source:https://www.idea.int/datatools/data/country?country=239&database_theme=293
Total electors across International IDEA member and observer countries = 2,225,549,481 (222.5 Crores)