 About one in five elections in the world turns violent. Election violence is not unique to any continent or development level. Often we see that election violence occurs long before election day, so we need to start early in order to prevent it most effectively. Election-related violence can take many shapes or forms, from voter intimidation to the burning of polling stations to police crackdowns of peaceful protests and in some cases even the assassination of some of the candidates. They attacked the police to demoralize them. They were threatening to the polling staff. If you go to the election, we will target you physically. We will destroy your property. Preventing election violence is a priority of the US Institute of Peace. Election violence can claim lives, undermine faith in democracy, and reverse years of development. But prevention makes a difference. Police training can improve security at the polls. Civic education can inform voters and reduce the risk of rumors taking hold. Election observations can provide credibility to an election, or deter violent actors. And diplomacy can encourage politicians to address disagreements in the court instead of in the streets. These efforts are critical, but whether or not an election remains peaceful is ultimately up to the police, the election commission, and above all, those who are running for office. Our research shows that prevention works, but each instrument is not equally impactful. We see that international interventions often start quite late, when the campaigns are well underway or violence has already erupted. Crisis response seems to be more common than prevention and is certainly less effective. Our research tries to determine what works to prevent election violence and what does not. Through our trainings, we improve the skills of practitioners and policy makers, professionals charged with maintaining the peace. We engage with local partners by supporting election commissions, observation teams, police officers, and civil society. Prevention works and makes peace possible.