About
The project “Electoral Navigator for Strengthening Democracy and the Electoral Process in North Macedonia” aims to reinforce democracy in North Macedonia through an improved electoral process, enhanced transparency, credibility, and inclusiveness. The project focuses on strengthening civil society organizations and their active role in electoral processes, with particular emphasis on the participation of women, youth, and marginalized groups.
Through a series of activities, the project will contribute to strengthening the capacities of domestic organizations for election observation, enabling broader geographical coverage and increased inclusion of diverse social segments. Trainings will be organized on electoral rules, voting procedures, and observation techniques, with the aim of enabling civil society to more effectively monitor the electoral process. In addition, the project will support the establishment of networks of civil society organizations for election observation, working jointly to advance transparency and accountability in elections. One of the key aspects of the project is this digital platform, “Electoral Navigator,” which will allow active engagement of citizens from across the country in the electoral process. With this adaptation, full accessibility is ensured for persons with disabilities, marginalized communities from rural areas, and voters from the diaspora, through the availability of an English version of the platform, thereby enabling the diaspora to remain informed and engaged in the electoral process.
The Electoral Navigator platform also offers an interactive digital tool through which citizens, observers, and journalists can report electoral irregularities, media bias, hate speech, and misuse of public resources during the election campaign. The platform enables real-time analysis of reported cases and their submission to the relevant institutions.
The project further supports campaigns aimed at strengthening media integrity through monitoring of election coverage, analysis of bias, and tracking of hate speech and disinformation in both traditional and digital media. Through these activities, the project will contribute to the achievement of two expected results: strengthening the capacities of organizations for election observation and expanding their networks; and enhancing media integrity for fair and inclusive elections. This will ensure better protection of democratic values and the citizens’ right to a transparent and credible electoral process.
The project is financed by the European Union.
The Center for Research and Analyses NOVUS is implementing the project “Electoral Navigator for Strengthening Democracy and the Electoral Process in North Macedonia.” This project is a sub-grant awarded within the framework of “EU Support for the Civil Resource Centre – Phase 2.”
The content of this platform does not reflect the views of the European Union or the Civil Resource Centre.
Our Objectives
Through the “Electoral Navigator” tool, we aim to foster a higher level of civic awareness and responsibility, emphasizing the importance of electoral participation as a fundamental pillar of democratic governance. At the center of our efforts are persons with disabilities and marginalized communities from rural areas, who most often face barriers in accessing information and processes of public interest.
In alignment with our objectives, the platform has been improved and adapted to secure comprehensive and equal accessibility for all. It includes functionalities that provide speech support for persons with visual impairments, visual explanations and simplified solutions for persons with cognitive difficulties, as well as mobile adaptability that makes the platform accessible to persons with motor disabilities and to citizens in rural areas.
In this way, we strive toward an inclusive digital tool that not only facilitates access to electoral information but also actively contributes to the full participation of all citizens in the electoral process, thereby strengthening democracy and equality in society.
About Us
The citizens’ association Center for Research and Analyses NOVUS, based in Strumica, was established in 2013 as a non-profit, non-governmental organization working in the fields of human rights, non-formal education, youth engagement and civic activism, socio-economic policies and development, promotion and strengthening of youth policies, promotion of EU values, as well as social and cultural promotion and development. The organization is also dedicated to fostering transparency in the work of authorities and public institutions.
Since its establishment, NOVUS has been conducting research and implementing activities focused on the transparency of local and national authorities and the government, while also supporting and enabling young people from the region to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to take part in the democratic processes of the country, particularly in matters concerning the youth population.
The mission of the Association is to enhance and strengthen the capacities of young people, as well as to improve their competencies and skills through engagement and involvement in civic activism and volunteering, while also contributing to the overall socio-economic well-being of citizens in the community. The activities and projects implemented by NOVUS aim to achieve greater inclusion of citizens and youth, particularly those socially excluded from rural areas, in the process of shaping public policies.
Within our portfolio, the project “Initiative for Strengthening Democracy: Enhancing Political Engagement and Participation in the Republic of North Macedonia” was successfully implemented, financially supported by the National Endowment for Democracy for the Parliamentary and Presidential Elections held in 2024. This project set new standards for political and civic participation. Through the web platform “Electoral Navigator,” the Center for Research and Analyses NOVUS (CRA NOVUS) provided education and access to a tool that enabled better alignment of citizens’ interests with the available political options. This project significantly contributed to raising political awareness and reinforcing democratic values in our society through a series of activities and campaigns.A notable achievement within this framework was the initiative “Promoting Political Participation and Civic Engagement in Electoral and Political Processes,” carried out in two phases: pre-election and post-election. As part of this initiative, NOVUS organized political academies, conducted voter education campaigns, and held a post-election forum aimed at improving the electoral process among young voters.As a result, the online tool “Electoral Navigator” was developed and used by more than 10,000 citizens across the Republic of North Macedonia.
