“Electoral Model”: A Simulation Game on Local Self-Government Elections Educational Manual, 2026
You don’t have to wait for national elections to make a difference in your community. Local council elections decide who will manage our neighbourhoods, schools, streets and community budgets, and how they will do it. This manual explains why local democracy matters and what role citizens play in governing their communities.
In the “Electoral Model” game, participants go through every stage of a community council (avagani) election. They represent political parties and present their programmes. They cover the elections as journalists and fact-checkers, organise the vote and observe the process, and they also cast their own votes. Working from a baseline profile of a fictional community, participants deal with realistic local challenges and learn to find lawful and responsible solutions.
The game follows the approach of the “Model UN” and “Model Armenia” simulations, adapted to Armenia’s electoral law and local context. The learning process is based on David Kolb’s experiential learning model: participants first gain hands-on experience, then analyse what they experienced.
The manual includes:
- role-specific reading materials,
- a detailed facilitator’s guide,
- a socio-economic and demographic profile of the community,
- templates for ballots, protocols and other election documents.
Authors: Vahe Khachikyan, Arevik Navoyan
The manual is available here. (Available in Armenian only.)
Developed by NGO Center Civil Society Development NGO with financial support from the New Democracy Fund (NDF).