2011 South Alabama Jaguars football team, Game summaries, Lamar
C.J. Bennett threw two touchdown passes as South Alabama defeated Lamar 30-8. Lamar was held to three first downs and 64 yards on offense in the first half as South Alabama scored three times in the second quarter for a 20-0 halftime lead. Bennett passed 10 yards to Corey Waldon in the second quarter and 10 yards to Jereme Jones in the third as the Jaguars built a 27-2 lead. Bennett completed 9 of 14 passes for 144 yards. The Jaguars have beaten Lamar by a combined score of 56-8 in their past two meetings.


2011 South Alabama Jaguars football team, Game summaries, NC State
South suffered its first loss in program history when the Jaguars fell 35-13 to NC State in Raleigh, North Carolina. South Alabama kept things competitive into the third quarter of its 35-13 loss to North Carolina State  before allowing the Wolfpack’s Mike Glennon to throw a career-high four touchdown passes. Demetre Baker had an 8-yard scoring run and Jordan Means kicked two field goals, including a school-record 46-yarder, for the Jaguars. C.J. Bennett finished 17 of 32 for 182 yards with two interceptions and Kendall Houston rushed for 117 yards.


2011 South Alabama Jaguars football team, Game summaries, Kent State
South Alabama suffered its second loss in the season and second loss in program history, falling short of Kent State 33-25. The Golden Flashes led the Jaguars 26-0 going into halftime. In the second half, after a quick score by Kent State to go up 33-0, South Alabama's offense clicked on and scored 25 unanswered points. The Jaguars had the ball with less than a minute left in the game but came up short. The game finished with a score of 33-25. C.J. Bennett ended the game with 281 yards in the air with 1 TD pass and 3 interceptions. Bryant Lavender was Bennett's favorite target, catching 5 passes for a total of 97 yards. Demetre Baker had 10 rushes for 28 yards and 2 TDs. Kendall Houston ended the game with a miserly 23 yards on 11 rushes.


2011 South Alabama Jaguars football team, Game summaries, UTSA
Demetre Baker ran for 87 yards and two touchdowns, including the game winner in double overtime, to lift South Alabama to a 30-27 victory over Texas-San Antonio in South's first overtime game. Kendall Houston finished with 72 yards rushing and a touchdown for the Jaguars. C.J. Bennett finished 11 of 17 passing, throwing for one touchdown score.


2011 South American Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 2011 South American Artistic Gymnastics Championships were held in Santiago, Chile, August 4–8, 2011. The competition was organized by the Chilean Gymnastics Federation and approved by the International Gymnastics Federation. This was the 10th edition of the South American Artistic Gymnastics Championships for senior gymnasts.


2011 South American Beach Games
The II 2011 Beach South American Games were held in Manta, Ecuador.


2011 South American Beach Games, Venues
In order to provide the audience in Manta, Ecuador with overall comfort during the opening of the II South American Beach Games Manta 2011, the organizers decided to expand the capacity of the main stage that rises in the Playa El Murciélago from 4,000 to 5,000 spectators.


2011 South American Beach Games, Venues
The committee organizing the Games (COMANTA) expects to host more than a thousand athletes from 10 participating countries, as well as dignitaries, officials, special guests and the general public, said Alberto Adum, Executive Director of the Games.


2011 South American Beach Games, Venues
The opening ceremony is scheduled for the afternoon of Friday, December 2, with a show, which according to Adum, is unprecedented in sports events conducted in Ecuador.


2011 South American Beach Games, Venues
Although he prefers to keep the inaugural program a surprise, Adum said that the opening will include an air show that will include the participation of a group of parachutists, and more than 150 artists will offer performances based on the main characteristics of the host city.


2011 South American Beach Games, Venues
Sports including rugby union, soccer, beach handball, and beach volleyball will be hosted in this event.


2011 South American Beach Games, Venues
The host city staff are working on the construction of additional features besides the main stage (changing rooms, showers, bathrooms, etc. ), which they expect will be completed in November.


2011 South American Beach Games, Sports
Nine sports were contested in this edition of South American Beach Games.


2011 South American Beach Games, Participating nations
Ten nations participated in this edition of South American Beach Games.


2011 South American Beach Games, Medal table
27 gold medals were awarded in the Games. Brazil topped the medal table in this edition of the South American Beach Games.


2011 South American Beach Soccer Championship
The 2011 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup CONMEBOL qualifier, also later and commonly known as the 2011 South American Beach Soccer Championship, was the fourth Beach Soccer World Cup qualification championship for South America, held from July 31– August 7 on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The tournament was originally scheduled to take place from 7 – 14 May 2011.


2011 South American Beach Soccer Championship
The qualifiers were not coordinated by CONMEBOL at the time. The event was organised by Beach Soccer Worldwide (BSWW), under the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Qualifier title. CONMEBOL began recognising the tournaments in 2013, under the title South American Beach Soccer Championship, also acknowledging the 2006–11 events as historic editions of the championship. CONMEBOL eventually began organising the qualifiers in 2017, under a new title.


2011 South American Beach Soccer Championship, Participating teams
A tournament-record nine teams, an increase of one team from the previous CONMEBOL qualifier, have confirmed their participation in the competition.


2011 South American Beach Soccer Championship, Group stage
The draw to decide the groups was conducted on June 29, 2011.


2011 South American Beach Soccer Championship, Group stage
All match times were of local time in Rio de Janeiro, being Brasilia Time, (UTC-03:00).


2011 South American Championships in Athletics
The 2011 South American Championships in Athletics were the 47th edition of the South American Championships, organised under the supervision of the CONSUDATLE. They were held at the National Center of High Performance Athletics (Centro Nacional de Alto Rendimiento Deportivo, CeNARD) in Buenos Aires, Argentina from 2 to 5 June 2011. Forty-four track and field events were contested, with the number of contests split evenly between the sexes. A total of 345 athletes participated at the championships.


2011 South American Championships in Athletics
It was the first time since 1967 that the city had hosted the event. Brazil continued its dominance at the continental competition, winning the most medals of the fourteen participating countries (51 in total, 21 of them gold). It also retained both the men's and women's title on points. Colombia was the next most successful nation, taking twelve gold medals and thirty-three overall, while the host nation Argentina came third with five golds and twenty medals altogether.


2011 South American Championships in Athletics
In the events, two South American records were set in the men's and women's 20,000 m track walk competition. Although cold weather conditions affected performances, a total of eight Championships records were improved over the course of the four-day competition, which also saw ten national records beaten.


2011 South American Championships in Athletics
On the first day, Brazil's Fabiana Murer won the women's pole vault in a championship record, while Argentine Jennifer Dahlgren achieved the same feat in the women's shot put. Reigning Olympic champion Maurren Maggi won her sixth title in the long jump. On day two Juan Ignacio Cerra won his ninth hammer throw gold medal in the history of the event, while Luiz Alberto de Araújo made his breakthrough in the men's decathlon – a championship record of 7944 points made him the fourth best South American of all time.


2011 South American Championships in Athletics
The women's track events on day three saw Ana Cláudia Silva complete a sprint double over 100 and 200 metres. Rosibel García did the middle-distance equivalent, taking the titles over 800 and 1500 metres. On the final day, Simone da Silva of Brazil won the women's 10,000 metres in 31:59.11 minutes, making her the second fastest South American runner over the distance.


2011 South American Championships in Athletics – Results
These are the official results of the 2011 South American Championships in Athletics which took place on June 2–5, 2011 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.


2011 South American Cross Country Championships
The 2011 South American Cross Country Championships took place on February 20, 2011. The races were held at the Club Deportivo Sajonia in Asunción, Paraguay. A detailed report of the event was given for the IAAF.


2011 South American Cross Country Championships
Complete results and results for junior and youth competitions were published.


2011 South American Cross Country Championships, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 97 athletes from 10 countries participated.


2011 South American Footballer of the Year
The 2011 South American Footballer of the Year, given to the best football player in South America by Uruguayan newspaper El País through voting by journalists across the continent, was awarded to Neymar of Santos on December 31, 2011.


2011 South American Footballer of the Year
Neymar became the second Santos player to win the award.


2011 South American Junior Championships in Athletics
The 39th South American Junior Championships in Athletics were heldin Medellín, Colombia in the Estadio Alfonso Galvis Duque fromSeptember 23–25, 2011. A detailed report on the results was given.


2011 South American Junior Championships in Athletics, Participation (unofficial)
Detailed result lists can be found on the CBAt website, and on the "World Junior Athletics History"website. An unofficial count yields the number of about 271athletes from about 13 countries: Argentina (30), Bolivia (10), Brazil (75),Chile (26), Colombia (61), Ecuador (23), Guyana (1), Panama (7), Paraguay (6),Peru (11), Suriname (3), Uruguay (6), Venezuela (12).


2011 South American Junior Championships in Athletics, Medal summary
Medal winners are publishedComplete results can be found on the CBAt, and on the "World Junior Athletics History"website.


2011 South American Junior Championships in Athletics, Team trophies
The placing tables for team trophy (overall team, men and women categories) were published.


2011 South American Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships
The 2011 South American Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships were held in Maracaibo, Venezuela, September 6–12, 2011.


2011 South American Rugby Championship "A"
The 2011 South American Rugby Championship "A" was the 33rd edition of the two tiered competition of the leading national rugby union teams in South America.


2011 South American Rugby Championship "A"
The tournament was arranged in Argentina, in the city of Puerto Iguazú, except for a match in Posadas. Like in the previous years, four teams played to qualify to the final pool, with Argentina (host) admitted directly. The first two were qualified, keeping the results of their matches also for second round. Chile won the pool and Uruguay was the runner-up. Argentina Jaguars won the final, after easy wins over Chile and Uruguay.


2011 South American Rugby Championship "B"
The 2011 South American Rugby Championship "B" was the 12th edition of the second tier competition of the leading national Rugby Union teams in South America. It was organised by Peru during August 21–27, 2011 and was won by Venezuela.


2011 South American Rugby Championship "B"
The division "B"  (o Sudamericano “B”) was contested in Lima (Perú) from 21 to 28 August 2011. Participating nations were Peru, holder, Colombia, Venezuela and Costa Rica.


2011 South American Rugby Championship "B"
The winner was Venezuela, that will meet Paraguay (last of first division) for admission to the "A" 2012 Champsionship


2011 South American U-15 Championship
The 2011 South American Under-15 Football Championship (Spanish: Campeonato Sudamericano Sub-15 Uruguay 2011) was the 5th U-15 tournament for national teams affiliated with CONMEBOL. It was held in Uruguay from 17 November to 4 December 2011.


2011 South American U-15 Championship, Venues
Three stadiums in three host cities were chosen for the tournament:


2011 South American U-15 Championship, Draw
The draw of the first stage groups was held on 17 March 2011 during the CONMEBOL Executive Committee meeting at the CONMEBOL headquarters in Asunción, Paraguay.


2011 South American U-15 Championship, Officials
On 20 October 2011, CONMEBOL's Commission on Referees announced the list of 10 referees and assistant to be used for the tournament.


2011 South American U-15 Championship, First round
The 10 national teams were divided in 2 groups of 5 teams each. The top 2 teams in each group qualified for the final round.


2011 South American U-15 Championship, Final round
The final round was played in a round robin system between the four best teams.


2011 South American U-17 Championship
The 2011 South American Under-17 Football Championship (Spanish: Campeonato Sudamericano Sub-17 Ecuador 2011) was the 14th U-17 tournament for national teams affiliated with CONMEBOL. It was held in Ecuador from 12 March to 9 April 2011.


2011 South American U-17 Championship
This tournament gave four berths to the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup, which was held in Mexico, and also the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico. Brazil won their tenth title and their fourth in a row. They qualified to the aforementioned tournaments along with Uruguay, Argentina, and Ecuador.


2011 South American U-17 Championship, Venues
Five stadiums in five host cities were chosen for the tournament. Due to a scheduling conflict on the final match day, another stadium in Quito was added and used in the tournament.


2011 South American U-17 Championship, Officials
On 8 February 2011, CONMEBOL's Commission on Referees announced the list of 10 referees and assistant to be used for the tournament.


2011 South American U-17 Championship, Squads
Each national team had to present a list of twenty players by 2 March 2011, but each association had the ability to change five players up to five days before the start of the tournament. All the players had to be born after 1 January 1994.


2011 South American U-17 Championship, First stage
When teams finish level of points, the final order determined according to:


2011 South American U-17 Championship squads
Each national team had to present a list of twenty players by 2 March 2011, but each association had the ability to change five players up to five days before the start of the tournament. All the players had to be born after 1 January 1994.


2011 South American U-17 Championship squads
Players name marked in bold have been capped at full international level.


2011 South American U-20 Championship
The 2011 South American Youth Championship (Spanish: Campeonato Sudamericano Sub-20 “Juventud de America” Perú 2011, Portuguese: Campeonato Sul-Americano Sub-20 “Juventude da America” Peru 2011) was a football competition for U-20 national teams in the South America (CONMEBOL). The tournament was held in Peru from 16 January to 12 February.


2011 South American U-20 Championship
The top 4 teams qualified for the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia. In addition, the top 2 teams qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics, to be held in London, United Kingdom. As hosts of the 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup, Colombia automatically qualified.


2011 South American U-20 Championship, First stage
When teams finished level of points, the final order was determined according to:


2011 South American U-20 Championship squads
The 2011 South American U-20 Championship was an international football tournament held in Peru from 26 January to 6 February 2011. The ten national teams involved in the tournament were required to register a squad of twenty players; only players in these squads were eligible to take part in the tournament.


2011 South American U-20 Championship squads
Each national team had to present a list of players by 6 January 2011. Each player had to have been born after 1 January 1991.


2011 South American U-20 Championship squads
Players' names marked in bold have been capped at full international level.


2011 South Asian Beach Games
The 1st South Asian Beach Games was held in Hambantota, Sri Lanka between 8 and 14 October 2011. The opening ceremony was held at the Hambantota Beach Stadium, located in Hambantota district. 359 athletes from eight South Asian nations were competed.


2011 South Asian Beach Games, Host city selection
Sri Lankan bid for Hambantota was selected over bids of Bangladesh and the Maldives by the South Asian National Olympic Committees in a unanimous decision.


2011 South Asian Beach Games, Logo and the Mascot
The logo was launched on 20 January 2011 in Galle. The Mascot represents a character called "Salu Paaliya" which is one of the 12 Palis. Palis are characters which represents various dance forms. It is believed that the "Salu Paaliya" has comical actions and the power to heal which is ideal for the Beach Games as the Mascot.


2011 South Asian Beach Games, Sports
Marathon swimming and sailing were to be contested in Arugam Bay while the remaining sports were contested in Hambantota. However, later organizers decided to move the events closer locations, Tangalle and Tissamaharama. 26 events in 10 sports were held. Triathlon and beach bodybuilding were dropped from the program due to a lack of participants.


2011 South Asian Beach Games, Participating nations
A total of eight countries participated at the 2011 South Asian Beach Games.


2011 South Asian Beach Games, Schedule
This is the schedule of events for the 2011 South Asian Beach Games.


2011 South Asian Winter Games
The 1st South Asian Winter Games were held in Dehradun and Auli, in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, India in January 2011. The games were conducted by the Indian Olympic Association and the Winter Games Federation of India. A grand opening and closing ceremony took place on 10 January 2011 and 16 January 2011, in Dehradun and Auli, respectively.


2011 South Asian Winter Games
The Ice skating and Ice hockey events were conducted from 10 to 12 January 2011 in Dehradun while the Skiing and Snowboarding events were held from 14 to 16 January 2011 at Auli.


2011 South Asian Winter Games, Infrastructure (Games Related)
At Dehradun a world class state-of-the-art facility has been created at Raipur Sports College. The Ice skating and Ice hockey arena has a seating capacity of 2,000 and the ice skating rink area is 60M by 30M, in which about 100 to 150 persons can skate every hour. It also has an Olympic size (50 by 25 Meters) fully air conditioned swimming pool, basketball courts and a cafeteria inside the complex. The central government had sanctioned ₹1.5 Billion for constructing this facility.


2011 South Asian Winter Games, Infrastructure (Games Related)
Auli is a world class destination for skiing and snowboarding. The skiing facility at Auli is of international standards with state-of-the-art ski slopes, artificial snow making system, water storage for artificial snow making system, chair lift system for ski sport and a residential accommodation complex. For the event, most of the works, including the ice making facility were put in place and there were 230 guest rooms that were built for the athletes and officials. The season at Auli has now been extended by creating artificial ice from a captive snow plant.


2011 South Asian Winter Games, Infrastructure (General)
The new Passenger Terminal Building at the Jolly Grant Airport at Dehradun is now fully operational. The installation of Night Landing System (NLS) and Instrument landing System (ILS) was completed and the lights, too, were installed on the runway to facilitate night landing. The main runway was extended by The Airports Authority of India, to 7000 ft to facilitate the landing of bigger aircraft such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 727. The helipad at Auli was reconstructed to ensure regular chopper services from Jolly Grant Airport. These services were used to ferry athletes and officials during the event.


2011 South Asian Winter Games, Mascot
The official mascot for the first South Asian Winter Games was the Bharal, the Himalayan Blue-Sheep or Big-Horn (Ovis Ammon) Wild Sheep is the native of Central Asia and the Himalayas. The Bharal was chosen as the ideal mascot for these games keeping in view its agility, strength, sure-footed nature and adaptability for survival in the snow-covered high altitude areas. The male has massive wrinkled horns up to 70 inches in length which forms a spiral, while the horns of the female are much smaller. It weighs around a quintal and stands about 42 inches at the shoulder. Nanda Devi National Park in Uttarakhand is the famous abode of this brownish grey Himalayan Big-Horn called Bharal.


2011 South Asian Winter Games, The Games, Sports
Four winter sports events were included in the 2011 South Asian Winter Games. Alpine skiing consisted of slalom, giant slalom and Super G with both men's and women's events. Cross-country skiing consisted of three events for men – 10 km, 15 km and a 4x10km relay, while the women's event consisted of a 3 km, 5 km and a 10 km. Snowboarding had a slalom and giant slalom with events for both men and women. Skating events included short track speed skating for men and women.


2011 South Asian Winter Games, The Games, Sports
Skiing and Snowboarding events were held at the Auli GMVNL Ski Resort, Auli while the Skating and Ice Hockey events were held at Dehradun RSC Arena, Dehradun.


2011 South Bend mayoral election
The 2011 South Bend, Indiana mayoral election was held on November 8, 2011.


2011 South Bend mayoral election
After serving for fourteen years, incumbent mayor Steve Luecke announced that he would not seek reelection. Luecke's decision not to run for reelection made the 2011 election the first open election for mayor of South Bend in 24 years.


2011 South Bend mayoral election
The election was won by Pete Buttigieg, who, at 29 years of age, became the youngest mayor, at the time, of a United States city with a population greater than 100,000.


2011 South Bend mayoral election
The election coincided with races for the Common Council and for South Bend City Clerk.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Background
After serving for fourteen years, incumbent mayor Steve Luecke announced that he would not seek reelection. Luecke's decision not to run for reelection made the 2011 election the first open election for mayor of South Bend in 24 years. His decision not to seek reelection was considered a surprise, and initiated a large rush of candidates declaring they that they would seek to succeed him as mayor.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Background
South Bend was regarded to be a Democratic-leaning city. A Republican had not been elected mayor of the city in the four decades, since Lloyd Allen won his second term in 1967.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Background
The election coincided with races for the Common Council and for South Bend City Clerk.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations
Primaries were held for the Democratic and Republican parties on May 3.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations
During the primaries, St. Joseph County, where South Bend is located, saw voter turnout of 16% in its various primary elections. This was an increase of 6% from the primaries four years prior.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations
Absentee voting ballots in the South Bend primaries numbered at 2,539.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Democratic primary
Democratic candidates included failed 2010 Indiana State treasurer candidate Pete Buttigieg, state representative Ryan Dvorak, high school teacher and St. Joseph Councilman Michael Hamann, reverend and former Clinton administration staffer Barrett Berry, and attorney Felipe Merino. Individuals who had previously been running, but were not included on the ballot because they either dropped-out or were disqualified from running, included Mark Dollinger, a business services representative at Work One (Indiana's workforce development agency) and the former manager of the city's Weed and Seed program.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Democratic primary
Incumbent mayor Stephen Luecke abstained from endorsing any candidate ahead of the primary.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Democratic primary
Dvorak was initially seen as having some potential advantages, such as media coverage of the state legislature and the fact that his father, Michael Dvorak, was the county prosecutor. Dvorak had never before lost an election campaign. Due to his strong name recognition, Dvorak was initially regarded as the frontrunner. During the campaign, Dvorak was involved in the Indiana legislative walkouts, which caused him to spend a significant part of his candidacy out-of-town in Illinois. Dvorak had strong labor support, which he helped shore up by participating in the Indiana legislative walkouts.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Democratic primary
Buttigieg had entered the race with very little name recognition. As a candidate, Buttigieg outlined a platform for his prospective mayoralty. This included an economic plan which promised to assist responsible existing employers grow, cultivate "new homegrown businesses of tomorrow", have the city compete both nationally and globally for investments, create "well-coordinated and user-friendly" economic development, confront poverty, and make investments in human capital and quality of life. He outlined an action plan for these economic priorities in April.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Democratic primary
Buttigieg also declared, “This election is about jobs, and the top priority of the next mayor has to be on putting people to work in good jobs. I have the most experience when it comes to business and economics. I’m the only candidate who has been involved in multibillion dollar decisions in the private sector, with some of the world’s top firms.” Buttigieg's campaign manager, Mike Schmuhl, had previously been the campaign manager on Joe Donnelly's 2010 congressional campaign. Buttigieg was ultimately supported by former mayors Roger Parent and Joe E. Kernan (the latter also being a former governor). Additionally, in its first-ever mayoral endorsement, the Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County endorsed Buttigieg's candidacy. Buttigieg was also endorsed by the South Bend Tribune in its first-ever mayoral primary endorsement and the South Bend's chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Democratic primary
Barrett Berry, a local pastor, was well known for hosting a radio program. Berry had returned to South Bend three years prior after an extended career working in federal government which not only included roles in the Clinton administration, but also had included an assignment as a control officer for the United States Department of State in Nairobi after the 1998 United States embassy bombings. Barrett served on several local boards, including the St. Joseph County Area Planning Commission, to which he had been appointed by mayor Luecke.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Democratic primary
Michael Hamann promoted himself as, "the only candidate with proven executive experience". Hamann had been a St. Joseph County Commissioner from 1999 through 2003, and was now a St. Joseph County Councilman representing a district which covered northwest South Bend and northwest St. Joseph County. He had also been a teacher for 26 years, and was also running a communications and marketing firm. Calling the city's unemployment rate, "unacceptably high", Hamann pledged to attract well-paying employers to the city.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Democratic primary
Hamann also pledged that, if elected, he would aggressively demolish abandoned neighborhoods in order to generate neighborhood revitalization and in order to combat crime. While St. Joseph County Democratic Chairman Butch Morgan refrained from formally endorsing any candidate, he privately supported Hamann. Hamann also received the endorsement of Citizens for Community Values Indiana.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Democratic primary
Felipe Merino, an attorney, stated he was running because, "we need businesses, we need investment, we need somebody to take care of graffiti, somebody to fill our potholes, we need somebody who is going to make sure that the west side and the east side of South Bend are both being taken care of." He dropped out of the race in March, citing unspecified "personal issues". However, by state law, his name would remain on the ballot. After dropping-out, he endorsed Dvorak.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Democratic primary
Buttigieg out-fundraised the other candidates. Buttigieg began to lead the pack in fundraising as early as January 2011. By April 8, Buttigieg had raised $230,000 for his campaign. Dvorak had raised $100,000. Hamann had raised $56,000.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Democratic primary
Had they been successful in their efforts to be elected mayor, either Berry (who is African American) or Merino (who is hispanic) would have been the first ethnic minority to be elected to a full-time executive office in St. Joseph County. No ethnic minority would be elected to a full-time executive office in St. Joseph County until the 2015 South Bend City Clerk election was won by Kareemah Fowler.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Democratic primary
In February the race was described as being "wide open", with polls showing that 60% of voters had not even yet learned that Luecke was retiring.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Democratic primary
In mid-March, a poll conducted by the Feldman Group found Buttigieg and Dvorak to be in a virtual tie, both garnering roughly 30%. Roughly a quarter of voters were undecided. The race had widely come to be seen as being primarily a contest between Buttigieg and Dvorak.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Democratic primary
On April 9 a debate was held at Indiana University South Bend, sponsored by Indiana University South Bend's American Democracy Project and Political Science Club as well as the League of Women Voters of the South Bend Area.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Democratic primary
By mid-April, the election was still regarded to be a close-race between Buttigieg and Dvorak, with Hamann being seen as a third-place candidate trying to push his way back towards contention.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Democratic primary
Late in the race, Dvorak swiftly turned negative in campaigning against Buttigieg, a move which backfired. Additionally, Hamann garnered sympathy after the tragic death of his wife, which occurred in mid-April. These two factors compounded, and Dvorak fell to third place.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Democratic primary, Polls
In mid-March, a poll conducted by the Feldman Group found Buttigieg and Dvorak to be in a virtual tie, both garnering roughly 30%. Roughly a quarter of voters were undecided.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Democratic primary, Polls
By mid-April, the election was regarded to be a close-race between Buttigieg and Dvorak, with Hamann being seen as a third-place candidate trying to push his way back towards contention. At this time, internal polls from the Buttigieg and Dvorak campaigns showed that Barrett Berry was in fourth place among candidates. At this time, both the Dvorak and Buttigieg campaigns, and their allies, shared that they had internal polling showed their candidate in the lead. For instance, by April two internal polls showed Buttigieg with leads of 2 and 14 percent. State representative Craig Fry reported having seen internal polling which showed Dvorak with a lead.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Democratic primary, Result
Buttigieg ultimately won what was considered a surprisingly strong victory in the primary. Due to the contest featuring four serious contenders for the nomination, experts had predicted that the victor would only carry roughly a third of the vote.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Democratic primary, Result
Buttigieg benefited from large crossover voting in support of him, with one analysis finding that he received the votes of up to 3,000 Republicans.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Democratic primary, Result
Voter turnout in the primary was much greater than had been predicted. This was largely due to Republican crossover voting. Some predictions for turnout were as low as 8,000. The median prediction had roughly been 11,000.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Republican primary
By April, Norris W. Curry, also known as Wayne Curry, had already established himself as the broad frontrunner in the Republican primary. Curry, a carpenter and construction contractor, had won the support of the local Republican establishment ahead of the primary. Curry also was considered the best-known individual among those contending for the Republican nomination, and was also the most visible campaigner. Curry had previously run unsuccessfully for an at-large city council seat in 2007, as well as a county council seat in 2008.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Republican primary
Curry had some experience in government and community projects, including having served as chairman for the Economic Development Panel of South Bend's City Plan process from 2003 through 2006. He had also served as treasurer for both the Community Oriented Policing Leadership Council and the North East Neighborhood Council. Curry's initial plans for 2011 were to run for the 4th district seat on the South Bend City Council, but he ultimately changed his mind and ran for mayor instead. Curry stated that he considered the "biggest asset" of the city to be its residents.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Republican primary
Curry hoped to be the nominee so that he could present an alternative to Democratic rule in the city, which he critiqued for having what he considered a "grossly" flawed "direction and philosophy for which they base their decisions on". He claimed declining population, business, and jobs in the city were evidence of failed Democratic leadership, and declared that he would reverse these trends if elected.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Republican primary
Also running in the Republican primary was William F. "Bill" Davis, a self-proclaimed "independent" who had challenged mayor Luecke for the Democratic nomination in the previous election. He had also run for other offices in the past, with his most recent campaign having been a 2008 St. Joseph County Commissioner's election in which he had received 40% of the vote. Davis was described by local reporter Ralph Heibutzki as the "least conventional" candidate in either party's primary. He received media attention for his troublesome history, which included periods in which he had stayed in prisons and in mental hospitals.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Republican primary
Davis argued that his history was less relevant than the platform on which he was running. His platform was focused on revitalizing neighborhoods, which he argued was critical to improving the economic fortunes of the city. He declared that, as mayor, he would have made it less difficult to purchase vacant houses for public use.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Republican primary
Additionally running was Wilson R. Taylor II, also known as Will Taylor. Like the other Republican candidates, Taylor also made vacant properties a focal point of his candidacy. Taylor's career was as a real estate investor who flipped properties. He declared that the city had been too aggressive in demolishing vacant homes. At the time of the campaign, he was even suing the city's code enforcement department for not permitting him to repair a condemned property. Taylor promised to make overhauling the code enforcement department a priority. He declared that he would not change most other city departments, as he believed them to be efficiently functioning. Taylor also promised to make anti-drug efforts a priority.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Republican primary
The South Bend Tribune, which prior to 2011, had never endorsed in mayoral primaries, gave their endorsement in the Republican primary to Curry.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, Nominations, Republican primary, Result
The turnout in the Republican primary was, at the time, the lowest Republican primary turnout in modern South Bend mayoral election history.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, General election
During the race, Buttigieg was seen as the heavy favorite to win. While the Democratic nomination was roughly considered to be tantamount to election, making the general election largely pro forma, Buttigieg refused to take a victory for granted declaring that, “The political graveyard is filled with people who took it for granted".


2011 South Bend mayoral election, General election
During his primary campaign, Buttigieg had spent nearly all of the funds he had raised, subsequently justifying this by declaring, "We didn’t want to lose a squeaker and have a lot left in the tank." He continued to raise additional funds in the general election.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, General election
Buttigieg stated that his top economic priority for South Bend was customer service, arguing that it was important for the city to provide a more efficient response to local businesses and businesses seeking to locate in the city. He believed that this could be accomplished by establishing a single point of contact for business services that would be tasked with communicating efficiently with businesses. He stated that a top priority for him as mayor would be partnering with the  board and superintendent of the South Bend Community School Corporation to improve collaboration between the city government and the schools.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, General election
Curry issued a 13-point plan for economic development. Curry also had plans for neighborhoods, education/children, and crime reduction. Curry continued discussing plans to address abandoned properties.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, General election
Joining both Curry and Buttigieg in the general election was Libertarian Party nominee Patrick M. Farrell. He argued that local politics was primarily responsible for what he called the "demise" of South Bend, faulting both of the major parties for this. In an op-ed published in the South Bend Tribune, Farrell wrote that he was running to, "be a steward of the people's trust".


2011 South Bend mayoral election, General election
In the midst of the campaign, Buttigieg spent two weeks away from the campaign trail because he was called to service in San Diego as part of his duties in the United States Navy Reserve.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, General election
Buttigieg sought to run a general election campaign that was unified with the campaigns of candidates running in the coinciding council elections.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, General election
A debate was held between the three candidates at Indiana University South Bend on October 27. The debate was sponsored by Indiana University South Bend's American Democracy Project and Political Science Club as well as the League of Women Voters of the South Bend Area.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, General election, Result
Buttigieg won all of the city's 91 voting precincts. These included several heavily Republican precincts in the city's 5th district. Some of western South Bend's heavily African American precincts gave Buttigieg some of his greatest levels of support in the general election.


2011 South Bend mayoral election, General election, Result
The election made Buttigieg, sworn-in at 29 years of age, the youngest mayor, at the time, of a United States city with a population greater than 100,000. Buttigieg also became the second-youngest mayor in South Bend history, after Schuyler Colfax III, who was elected mayor at age 28 in 1898.


2011 South Cambridgeshire District Council election
Elections to South Cambridgeshire District Council took place on Thursday 5 May 2011, as part of the 2011 United Kingdom local elections. Nineteen seats, making up one third of South Cambridgeshire District Council, were up for election. Seats up for election in 2011 were last contested at the 2007 election. The Conservative Party retained their majority on the council.


2011 South Cambridgeshire District Council election, Summary
At this election, Conservatives were defending 11 seats, Liberal Democrats were defending six and independents were defending two seats. Two seats changed hands at this election, as the Conservatives gained both Duxford and Teversham wards from the Liberal Democrats, increasing their majority on the council. Teversham was won by the Conservatives in 2007, but had been gained by the Liberal Democrats in a 2008 by-election.


2011 South Cambridgeshire District Council election, Summary
In October 2011, independent councillor Alex Riley, Longstanton, joined the Conservatives, further increasing the number of Conservative councillors to 32.


2011 South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team
The 2011 South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team represented the University of South Carolina in the 2011 NCAA Division I baseball season. The Gamecocks played their home games in Carolina Stadium. The team was coached by Ray Tanner, who was in his fifteenth season at Carolina. The Gamecocks won the 2011 College World Series to become the sixth school in the history of the College World Series to win consecutive national titles (1949-1950 Texas Longhorns; 1970-1974 Southern California Trojans; 1987-1988 Stanford Cardinal; 1996-1997 LSU Tigers; & the 2006-2007 Oregon State Beavers).


2011 South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team
During their postseason run, the Gamecocks also became the first team to go 10-0 through the postseason. Building on the success of the prior year's team, the Gamecocks set two NCAA records with consecutive post-season wins (16) and consecutive CWS wins (11); both streaks are active going into the 2012 season.


2011 South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team, Gamecocks in the 2011 MLB Draft
The following members of the South Carolina Gamecocks baseball program were drafted in the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft.


2011 South Carolina Gamecocks football team
The 2011 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Gamecocks were led by seventh-year head coach Steve Spurrier and played their home games at Williams-Brice Stadium. They are a member of the East Division of the Southeastern Conference and finished 11-2 for the season and 6–2 in SEC play. While they finished undefeated against the East Division, a 13-16 loss to Auburn and a 28-44 loss to Arkansas left them second in the division standings behind Georgia. In the Capital One Bowl, they defeated Nebraska 30–13. The 11 wins were a school record; it was only the second time in the school's 119-year football history that it won as many as 10 games. They also finished eighth in the final Coaches' Poll and ninth in the final AP Poll—their first-ever top-10 finishes in any major poll.


2011 South Carolina Gamecocks football team, Preseason
On April 10, 2011, the Garnet squad defeated the Black squad, 21–17, in the annual Garnet & Black Spring Game, in front of a crowd of 30,100.


2011 South Carolina Gamecocks football team, Game summaries, Mississippi State
Marcus Lattimore was injured during this game and he remained out for the remainder of the season.


2011 South Carolina Gamecocks football team, Players, Depth chart
Projected starters and primary backups versus Clemson on November 26, 2011.


2011 South Carolina State Bulldogs football team
The 2011 South Carolina State Bulldogs football team represented South Carolina State University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bulldogs were led by tenth year head coach Oliver Pough and played their home games at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. They are a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. They finished the season 7–4, 6–2 in MEAC play to finish in a tie for second place.


2011 South Dakota Coyotes football team
The 2011 South Dakota Coyotes football team represented the University of South Dakota in the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Coyotes were led by eighth year head coach Ed Meierkort, played their home games at the DakotaDome, and they were members of the Great West Conference. This was South Dakota's final year as a member of the Great West as they became a member of The Summit League in 2012 and a football-only member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference.


2011 South Dakota Coyotes football team
They finished the season 6–5, 2–2 in Great West play to finish in third place.


2011 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team
The 2011 South Dakota State Jackrabbits football team represented South Dakota State University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Jackrabbits were led by 14th year head coach John Stiegelmeier and played their home games at Coughlin–Alumni Stadium. They are a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. They finished the season 5–6, 4–4 in MVFC play to finish in a tie for fourth place.


2011 South Florida Bulls football team
The 2011 South Florida Bulls football team represented the University of South Florida (USF) in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulls played their home games at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The 2011 college football season was the 15th season overall for the Bulls, and their seventh season as a member of the Big East Conference. This was the second season with Skip Holtz as the head coach. They finished the season 5–7, 1–6 in Big East play to finish in a tie for seventh place. USF failed to qualify for a post-season bowl ending its streak of six consecutive bowl trips dating back to 2005.


2011 South Gloucestershire Council election
The 2011 South Gloucestershire Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of South Gloucestershire unitary authority in England.


2011 South Gloucestershire Council election, Ward results
In wards that are represented by more than one councillor, electors were given more than one vote each, hence the voter turnout may not match the number of votes cast.


2011 South Hams District Council election
Elections to South Hams District Council took place on 5 May, the same day as other United Kingdom local elections and the Alternative Vote referendum. 27 of the 30 wards were up for election, each with either 1,2 or 3 councillors to be elected. The number of seats up for election in each ward is indicated by the number in the brackets following the ward name. 37 of the 40 councillors elected in 2007 defend their seats in this year. The three wards of Ivybridge Central, Newton & Noss and Thurlestone were uncontested, only having one candidate each, so no election took place. The candidates were Michael Francis Saltern, Suzie Cooper and Ian Bramble respectively; all of whom were from the Conservative Party.


2011 South Holland District Council election
The 2011 South Holland District Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of the South Holland District Council in England. It was held on the same day as other local elections.


2011 South Holland District Council election, Council composition
Following the last election in 2007, the composition of the council was:


2011 South Holland District Council election, Ward results
Incumbent councillors are denoted by an asterisk (*). References -


2011 South Kesteven District Council election
The 2011 South Kesteven District Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of South Kesteven District Council in Lincolnshire, England. The whole council was up for election and the Conservative party stayed in overall control of the council.


2011 South Kesteven District Council election, Election result
The Conservatives remained in control of the council after gaining seats from the Liberal Democrats. These gains included taking all three seats in St Johns ward, as well as a seat each in All Saints and St Georges wards. Labour also made gains to move to six councillors, while the number of independents dropped.


2011 South Kesteven District Council election, Election result
The election in Deeping St James was delayed from the original date after the death of a Liberal Democrat councillor for the ward.


2011 South Kesteven District Council election, Election result
The above totals include the delayed election in Deeping St. James.


2011 South Kesteven District Council election, Ward results, Deeping St James delayed election
The election in Deeping St James was delayed until 23 June 2011 after the death of the Liberal Democrat councillor for the ward since 1983, Ken Joynson. The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats both lost a seat, at the election, with the Conservative retaining one of the three seats. The other two seats were won by an independent and by Phil Dilks, a former Labour county councillor who stood with no party description.


2011 South Kesteven District Council election, By-elections between 2011 and 2015
A by-election was held in Aveland on 13 March 2014 after the resignation of Conservative councillor Debbie Wren. The seat was held for the Conservatives by Peter Moseley with a majority of 243 votes over Labour candidate John Morgan.


2011 South Korea blackout
The 2011 South Korea Blackout was a power outage across South Korea on September 15, 2011.


2011 South Korean Figure Skating Championships
The 2011 South Korean Figure Skating Championships (Korean: 제65회 전국 남녀 피겨스케이팅 종합선수권대회) were the South Korean Figure Skating Championships for the 2010-11 season. They were the 65th edition of those championships held. They were organized by the Korean Skating Union.


2011 South Korean Figure Skating Championships
Skaters competed in the disciplines of men's and ladies' singles on the senior, junior, and novice levels for the title of national champion of South Korea. The results of the national championships were used to choose the Korean teams to the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships and the 2011 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships. The teams to the 2011 World Junior Figure Skating Championships had previously been chosen at a ranking competition.


2011 South Korean Figure Skating Championships
The competition was held between 14 and 16 January 2011 at the Taereung Ice Rink in Seoul.


2011 South Korean by-elections
The two South Korean 2011 by-elections took place on April 27, 2011 in 38 electoral districts across the country and on October 26, 2011 in Seoul after Oh Se-hoon resigned due to his failure in the Seoul Free Lunch Referendum.


2011 South Korean by-elections, October 26
The main focus of the October by-election was about filling the vacant seat of the mayor of Seoul. The election was eventually won by an independent candidate Park Won-soon against the Grand National Party candidate, Na Kyung-won. On an anecdotal view, an unnamed representative of an electoral district in Seoul said that the general public mood against the Grand National Party was closely similar to political events in 2004, when former president Roh Mu-hyun was on the verge of being impeached.


2011 South Korean by-elections, October 26, Impact, Blue House
The Blue House under the Lee Myung-bak government has been negatively impacted the most. President Lee Myung-bak did not make any official commentary right after the election's result due to a real estate dispute and due to the growing younger voters' opposition against him.


2011 South Korean by-elections, October 26, Impact, Grand National Party
This October by-election is known to have a negative impact on the right wing political establishments in South Korea, notably Lee Myung-bak government and the Grand National Party. Grand National Party politician, Jeon Yeo-ok, made a remark that "the Grand National Party is a party that betrays its supporters" after the loss. The youth faction of the GNP made a suggestion to rename the party to another name to avoid criticisms. There has been a growing pessimistic outlook for the Grand National Party.


2011 South Korean by-elections, October 26, Impact, Grand National Party
Former Prime Minister and current head of the Presidential Commission for Shared Growth for Large and Small Companies, Chung Un-chan, mentioned in the GNP Incheon branch seminar on November 17 how "the GNP doesn't receive any affection" and "would most likely lose the next presidential election". Some high-profile GNP members deny that this by-election is a loss. For instance, chairperson Hong Jun-pyo responded as "neither a win nor a loss". Hong's comment later triggered backlashes among other GNP members, including Won Hee-ryong.


2011 South Korean football match-fixing scandal
The 2011 South Korean football betting scandal involved South Korea's top professional football leagues, K-League. In mid-2011, South Korean association football, especially K-League, was overshadowed by the discovery of match fixing scandal among the players, brokers such as gangsters and coaches in K-League.


2011 South Korean football match-fixing scandal, Background
After an arrest warrant was issued for two football players on 25 May 2011 by the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, the K-League's match-fixing case began to surface. The prosecutors arrested two brokers and are investigating 10 players, including Sangju Sangmu Phoenix's striker and former national team member Kim Dong-hyun. The inception of this scandal was the alleged suicide of one footballer named Yoon Ki-Won of Incheon United. His suicide was amplified with the match-fixing allegations through media and football fans. But K-League trying to purified itself and other persons who were involved in match-fixing didn't appear, match-fixing scandal was an open secret in K-League through the illegal betting sites.


2011 South Korean football match-fixing scandal, Affected football matches
On 7 July 2011, Changwon division of Supreme Prosecutors' Office revealed fifteen match-fixing matches.


2011 South Korean football match-fixing scandal, Affected football matches
On 4 August 2011, Changwon division of Supreme Prosecutors' Office revealed additional four match-fixing matches.


2011 South Korean football match-fixing scandal, First investigation
The reports of the arrests of two footballers by the South Korean media had led to the exposure of the initial match-fixing scandals in the K-League. Especially, former national football team member Kim Dong-hyun, who was believed to have deep connections to accomplices. The arrested footballers were Park Sang-Wook of Daejeon Citizen and Sung Kyung-Mo of Gwangju FC.


2011 South Korean football match-fixing scandal, First investigation
On 27 May 2011, four players of Daejeon Citizen were also arrested and more extensive investigations were held into match-fixing. On 30 May 2011, former footballer Jung Jong-Kwan, who played for Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors was found dead in an apparent suicide. In his suicide note, he said "I’m ashamed of myself as a person involved in the match fixing scandal. Those under investigation are all my friends and they haven’t blown my name because of friendship. All is my fault and I got them involved."


2011 South Korean football match-fixing scandal, First investigation, Penalties
On 17 June 2011, the Changwon division of Supreme Prosecutors' Office announced an investigation result of match-fixing. Ten football players were banned from playing in the South Korean football permanently. Kim Jung-Kyum of Pohang Steelers was banned for five years in South Korean football, because he made unfair profits from the knowledge of match-fixing. Daejeon Citizen's dividend of Sports Toto was reduced 30% for the 2011 season, and Gwangju FC and Sangju Sangmu Phoenix was reduced by 10% each.


2011 South Korean football match-fixing scandal, Second investigation
After first investigation ended, Changwon division of Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the military prosecution broadened the scope of the investigation. The first investigation was focused on related to Daejeon Citizen's players, second investigation was focused on related to Chunnam Dragons' players.


2011 South Korean football match-fixing scandal, Second investigation
On 7 July 2011, Changwon division of Supreme Prosecutors' Office announced investigation result of match-fixing. Ten retired and active football players were arrested on related match-fixing. And 29 retired and active football players were under indictment and three players were summarily indicted.


2011 South Korean football match-fixing scandal, Second investigation
Kim Dong-hyun (Sangju Sangmu Phoenix), Park Sang-Wook, Sin Jun-Bae, Yang Jung-Min (all Daejeon Citizen) were arrested in 1st investigation, but weren't arrested in 2nd investigation.


2011 South Korean football match-fixing scandal, Second investigation
On 12 July 2011, Sangju Sangmu Phoenix's manager Lee Soo-Chul was arrested for accepting bribes and intimidation charges in 2010 season.


2011 South Korean football match-fixing scandal, Imprisonment
On 29 August 2011, the Changwon division of Supreme Prosecutors' Office had sentenced thirty-nine retired & current footballers to imprisonment, and fines of 5 million won and as many as seven-years jail sentence.


2011 South Korean university tuition crisis
The 2011 South Korean University Tuition Crisis is a socio-political dispute among the conservative Grand National Party, the liberal Democratic Party, and various citizen groups on reduced university tuition fees for South Korean university students. The reduced tuition is one of the main commitments during the start of the GNP-led Lee Myung-bak government in 2008. This commitment made by the GNP has not been manifested, or potentially ignored, as of 2011. This could be due to the government's big business-oriented policies overshadowed the education-related domestic issues. This resulted in several university student protests across South Korea in 2011.


2011 South Korean university tuition crisis, Background
The Lee Myung-bak government's policy of easing the expensive tuition fees is proposing the deferred payment system. But some university organizations openly oppose this as it could "silence the main commitment of the government" since 2009, a year after the Lee Myung-bak government.


2011 South Lakeland District Council election
The 2011 South Lakeland District Council election took place on 5 May 2011 to elect members of South Lakeland District Council in Cumbria, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats stayed in overall control of the council.


2011 South Lakeland District Council election, Background
19 seats were contested at the election over 18 wards. 2 of these were by-elections, in Levens and in 1 of the 2 seats being fought in Ambleside and Grasmere. Both the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives stood in every seat, while Labour put up 8 candidates and the Green Party 2 candidates.


2011 South Lakeland District Council election, Election result
The results saw the Liberal Democrats keep their majority on the council after losing 1 seat to the Conservatives. The only change came in Windermere Applethwaite and Troutbeck, with the Conservatives taking the seat by 12 votes after several recounts. This left the Liberal Democrats on 32 seats, compared to 18 for the Conservatives and 1 for Labour. Overall turnout in the election was 56.16%.


2011 South Norfolk District Council election
The elections to South Norfolk District Council were held on Thursday 5 May 2011 along with various other local elections around England, elections to the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly of Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly, and a referendum on whether to adopt the Alternative Vote electoral system for elections to the House of Commons. All 46 council seats were up for election. The previous council was controlled by the Conservatives, with the Liberal Democrats being the only opposition.


2011 South Norfolk District Council election
Both main parties had websites detailing their local manifesto pledges: ; .


2011 South Norfolk District Council election, Candidates by party
In this election, there were a total of 117 candidates contesting the 46 council seats. 25 Conservative councillors and 6 Liberal Democrat councillors were standing in the seats they held before the election. Both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats fielded candidates in every ward, but the Liberal Democrats were unable to nominate candidates for every vacancy - a total of 46 Conservatives and 42 Liberal Democrats.


2011 South Norfolk District Council election, Candidates by party
Out of the parties which are not represented on the district council, Labour stood 14 candidates, the Green Party 9 and UKIP 4. There were two independent candidates: Ingo Wagenknecht in Rockland ward and Jessica Austin in Wicklewood ward.


2011 South Norfolk District Council election, Candidates by party
In 17 seats there was a straight fight between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.


2011 South Norfolk District Council election, Election results: overview
The election saw 38 seats won by the Conservatives and 8 won by the Liberal Democrats - a gain of one seat for the Liberal Democrats. They won the seat for Forncett Ward, which had been vacant since the death of the Conservative councillor Hedley Smith in January 2011. The successful Liberal Democrat was previously the member for the ward from 2003-2007 defeated in 2007. Overall the Liberal Democrats polled a lower vote-share in South Norfolk overall. Their vote-share dropped by almost 10%, with half of the votes going to Labour and the rest to the Conservatives, the Green Party and UKIP.


2011 South Norfolk District Council election, Election results: overview
Labour and the Greens attained a higher vote-share, with Labour overtaking the Greens as the third-largest party in terms of votes, but were unable to win any seats. Labour became the second-largest party in 8 wards: Bunwell, Cringleford, Dickleburgh, Rockland, Wymondham Northfields, Wymondham Rustens and Wymondham Town and Wicklewood - their best performance being 27.7% in Bunwell. The Greens came second in three wards Mulbarton, Hingham & Deopham and Thurlton pushing the Lib Dems into third place in those wards (all wards held by the Lib Dems in 2003). In Cringleford and Wymondham Rustens the Lib Dems finished in 4th place behind Labour and the Greens. UKIP managed to come second in Scole ward, with 17.41%.


2011 South Norfolk District Council election, Results by ward
Candidates in bold were elected. Candidates marked with an asterisk were councillors in the same ward from 2007-2011.


2011 South Ossetian presidential election
Presidential elections were held in South Ossetia on 13 November 2011. A referendum was held on the same day. A run-off was held on 27 November, but the result were invalidated by the Supreme Court of South Ossetia. A new election was scheduled for 25 March 2012.


2011 South Ossetian presidential election, Candidates
Incumbent president Eduard Kokoity was constitutionally barred from serving a third term in office. Attempts were made to call a referendum to change the constitution, but this was blocked by the Supreme Court. Another attempt to change the constitution by a two-thirds majority in parliament was blocked by parliamentary chairman and Communist Party of South Ossetia leader Stanislav Kochiev.


2011 South Ossetian presidential election, Candidates
Kokoity himself stated he had no intention in seeking a third term, and called on everybody to refrain from initiatives to allow him to serve a third term. Kokoity made it clear that he would not disappear from the South Ossetian political scene.


2011 South Ossetian presidential election, Candidates
In the end, 17 candidates were registered by the electoral commission, including former Prime minister Merab Chigoev, former education minister Alla Dzhioyeva and incumbent Emergencies Minister Anatoly Bibilov. Days before the election, candidate Ivar Bestaev withdrew from the election, his name was not included on the ballots. This left 16 candidates, but in the following days five more candidates withdrew, including Chigoev.


2011 South Ossetian presidential election, Candidates
Anatoly Bibilov claimed to be backed by Russia. A letter in his support from Vladimir Putin was read in an election meeting, and several United Russia members of parliament visited the republic and expressed their support for Bibilov, the ruling Unity party's candidate. Alla Dzhioyeva received support from Dzambolat Tedeev, the Russian freestyle wrestling team's coach, who was on 13 October expelled from South Ossetia on 14 October after being denied registration, and Anatoly Barankevich, former minister of defence of South Ossetia, who both opposed incumbent president Eduard Kokoity, a former member of the Soviet Union's national wrestling team. Dzhioyeva campaigned on the deficit of fuel, lack of cellular network in parts of the republic and misappropriated funds provided for the post-war reconstruction of South Ossetia by Russia.


2011 South Ossetian presidential election, Election day
Polling stations were open from 8:00 until 20:00. There were 86 such stations, located all over the country, as well as in Moscow and Sukhumi. Special polling stations were opened for South Ossetian citizens living in North Ossetia–Alania. In South Ossetia, a turnout of 50% + 1 vote is required for an election to be valid. This threshold was reached around 16:00.


2011 South Ossetian presidential election, Results
The two most successful participants were Bibilov, with 25.9% of votes cast, and Dzhioyeva, with a 24.8% share of the vote. They went through to a runoff on 27 November, which was needed as no candidate had achieved a majority in the first round.


2011 South Ossetian presidential election, Results
Preliminary results for the second round released on 27 November show Dzhioyeva in the lead, with 8,955 votes to Bibilov's 6,205. With 87% of the vote processed, Dzhioyeva had 14,828 votes to 10,462 for Bibilov. Dzhioyeva claimed to have the final results showing she had won with 16,454 votes. However, the Unity Party filed a complaint at the Supreme Court of South Ossetia, alleging Dzhioyeva's campaign used illegal means to secure the victory. The Supreme Court subsequently declared the election invalid. A new election date was agreed upon for 25 March 2012. The Central Election Commission subsequently announced that the final results of the second round would not be released.


2011 South Ossetian referendum
A referendum on making Ossetian and Russian official languages was held in South Ossetia on 13 November 2011, alongside presidential elections. The referendum was originally scheduled for 11 September 2011, but on 12 August the decision was made to postpone it.


2011 South Ossetian referendum
Prior to the referendum the first section of the fourth article of the constitution states that Ossetian is the national language in South Ossetia, while the second section states that Russian (together with Ossetian and, in certain cases, Georgian) is the official language of government bodies, state administration and local self-government.


2011 South Ossetian referendum, Results
Do you agree Ossetian and Russian should be the national languages of South Ossetia?


2011 South Oxfordshire District Council election
The 2011 South Oxfordshire District Council election was held on 5 May 2011 to elect members of South Oxfordshire District Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections.


2011 South Oxfordshire District Council election
Elections were held for all 48 seats on the council. The Conservative Party won 33 seats. The Liberal Democrats won seven seats and Henley Residents Group won two. The Labour Party won one seat and two independent candidates each won a seat. The Conservative Party kept overall control of the council, with its majority reduced to 27.


2011 South Oxfordshire District Council election, Summary of results
The Conservative Party's share of votes fell from 50.9% in the 2007 South Oxfordshire District Council election to 46.1% in 2011. In 2011 Conservative candidates won three seats from Liberal Democrats. However, Conservative candidates also lost three seats to independent candidates, three to Labour, one to the Henley Residents Group and one to a Liberal Democrat. The Conservatives had won 38 seats in 2007 but were reduced to 33 in 2011. However, this was still almost 69% of the 48 seats on the council, and gave the Conservative group an overall majority of 15.


2011 South Oxfordshire District Council election, Summary of results
The Liberal Democrats' share of votes fell from 28.6% in 2007 to 16.7% in 2011. The net result of their gaining seats from and losing seats to the Conservatives reduced their number of members on the council to four. However, the Liberal Democrats retained the second largest share of total votes in the district.


2011 South Oxfordshire District Council election, Summary of results
The Labour Party increased its share of votes from 7.3% in 2007 to 14.6% in 2011. Gaining three seats from the Conservatives increased its number of members on the council to four.


2011 South Oxfordshire District Council election, Summary of results
In 2007 two independent candidates were elected to the district council. In 2011 both of these independent councillors were re-elected and three gained seats from Conservatives, increasing the number of independent councillors to five.


2011 South Oxfordshire District Council election, Summary of results
In 2007 one Henley Residents Group councillor was elected. In 2011 HRG held that seat and won a second, increasing its number of members on the council to two. HRG won an average of 37.2% of votes in the two wards that it contested.


2011 South Oxfordshire District Council election, Summary of results
In 2007 there were Green Party candidates in eight of the district's 29 wards. In 2011 there were only four Green Party candidates in four wards. They won an average of 16.64% of votes in the wards that they contested, and 3.43% of total votes cast in South Oxfordshire District, but no seats.


2011 South Oxfordshire District Council election, Summary of results
There was one UK Independence Party candidate, who contested a ward in Didcot. He won 8.6% of the votes in that ward, and was not elected.


2011 South Ribble Borough Council election
Local elections were  held for South Ribble Borough Council on 5 May 2011. Local elections are held every four years with all councillors up for election in multi-member electoral wards.


2011 South Ribble Borough Council election
The Local Government Boundary Commission for England reviewed the electoral wards of South Ribble Borough Council in 2014 with the new electoral map to be elected for the first time at the 2015 South Ribble Borough Council election.


2011 South Staffordshire District Council election
The 2011 South Staffordshire District Council election to the South Staffordshire District Council took place on Thursday 5 May 2011. A total of 49 seats were up for election, 42 of which went to the Conservative Party, mirroring the 2007 elections.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum
A referendum took place in Southern Sudan from 9 to 15 January 2011, on whether the region should remain a part of Sudan or become independent. The referendum was one of the consequences of the 2005 Naivasha Agreement between the Khartoum central government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement (SPLA/M).


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum
A simultaneous referendum was supposed to be held in Abyei on whether to become part of Southern Sudan but it was postponed due to conflict over demarcation and residency rights.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum
On 7 February 2011, the referendum commission published the final results, with a landslide majority of 98.83% voting in favour of independence. While the ballots were suspended in 10 of the 79 counties for exceeding 100% of the voter turnout, the number of votes was still well over the requirement of 60% turnout, and the majority vote for secession is not in question.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum
The predetermined date for the creation of an independent state was 9 July 2011.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Background
The prerequisites for the referendum included a census, which was used to define how wealth and political power will be apportioned between regions. The census was the basis of a voter registration process, which was also used for the national elections in 2010, which in turn set the stage for the referendum. The census was delayed three times. Problems included disagreements between the north and south over what they are obliged to do by the Naivasha Agreement, funding difficulties and an enormous logistical challenge.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Background
In the south, unmapped minefields from the war continue to make movement difficult, while up to 5,000,000 Sudanese are nomadic. Up to 2,000,000 internally displaced persons from the south remain in camps around Khartoum, in the centre of the country, whilst refugees remain in Uganda and Kenya. A further complication results from the conflict in Darfur to the west, where civilians who have fled attacks refuse to take part in census out of fear that the government would use the results against them. Darfuri rebel groups are unanimous in their denunciation of the planned census, while the Justice and Equality Movement group has threatened to attack any census-taker.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Background
There were disagreements between the National Congress Party (NCP) and the SPLA/M about what proportion of voters will have to be in favour of independence (the NCP wanted at least 75% support required), whether Southern Sudanese living in the north should be allowed to vote, and the post-referendum separation process (including the division of the national debt). Modest progress was made in early September 2010, but disagreements on fundamental points remain.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Background
It is envisaged that "popular consultations" in South Kordofan and Blue Nile, without a clear reference to referendums and/or independence, would raise concerns about the future of these regions.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Background
According to the terms of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (or CPA), in October 2009, the central government of Sudan and the South Sudanese government agreed that turnout would have to be at least 60% of 3,800,000 voters would be necessary to validate. In this case, a simple majority vote in favour of independence would result in secession for South Sudan; should the turnout be insufficient in the first referendum, a second one will be held within sixty days.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Campaign
Sudanese officials have said throughout campaigning that, regardless of their pro-unity or pro-separatist stance, the ultimate aim was a peaceful transition. Vice President Kiir acknowledged his administration had failed to deliver "the dividends of peace," and noted that a campaign to confiscate arms was a solution to maintaining stability.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Campaign
Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir said that the southern region had a right to choose to secede and that the referendum was helpful because unity "could not be forced by power." He also said he would respect the outcome of the vote and support the south. However, he also said that though secession was a right it may not resolve issues for the south: "The stability of the south is very important to us because any instability in the south will have an impact on the north. If there is a war in your neighbour's house, you will not be at peace. The south suffers from many problems. It's been at war since 1959. The south does not have the ability to provide for its citizens or create a state or authority."


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Campaign
Negotiations continue between the ruling parties in the north and south on potential post-referendum arrangements—looking at future issues such as citizenship, security, finance and wealth sharing. Minister of Petroleum Mr. Deng said he fears that an immediate budget cut for the north would ignite a war. "In order to avoid conflict, we could look to a phase-out arrangement whereby you provide the north some [oil] until they get an alternative". The pipeline to export southern oil currently cuts through the north, and the south has not begun construction on a pipeline that would avoid that route. In an article published by The Washington Post on 21 September 2010, Deng noted that an interim agreement could help both north and south and result in a "win-win". The northern government said it would assume most of the country's $38,000,000,000 debt if secession was voted upon.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Campaign
National campaigns were being held by both parties to address issues of potential clashes ahead of the referendum. President Al-Bashir wanted to reassure and assuage tension surrounding the issue of citizenship rights in the case of South Sudan secession. He said that even if southerners opted for secession, "the sentimental unity and social relations between north and south Sudan will remain standing." Al-Bashir vowed that the rights of southern citizens staying in the north after secession would be safeguarded, saying that his party would not allow anyone to infringe on the rights of southerners in the north, their properties, freedoms and residence regardless of citizenship.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Campaign
The northern Justice and Peace Forum Party advocated separation of the country citing unity as a "bad forced marriage." Its chairman Al Taieb Mustafa said that the prospective support for the referendum would be "the real independence day for Sudan."


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Campaign
On 8 January, the mood in Juba, the southern capital, and the wider region was said to be jubilant with final pro-secession rallies celebrating independence in advance.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Campaign, Egyptian and Libyan involvement
Early during the referendum process, an Egyptian proposal was made to have a confederation between the north and south of the country. However, President Omar al-Bashir said it was not being considered because the issue of the referendum was about "unity or separation. Our brothers in the south are refusing at the moment the proposal of confederation. If the separation was the result of the referendum, the two sides are going to negotiate over the future of relations between them."


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Campaign, Egyptian and Libyan involvement
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi later went to Sudan to try to assuage the conflict, though both men had previously called for the country to stay united. Egypt's Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the meeting sought to ensure the referendum could be held in a "climate of freedom, transparency, and credibility, reflecting the will of the sons of the south" and also that both the South and North could strengthen bonds.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Issues
Observers and key players feared violence ahead of the South Sudan referendum for a variety of reasons.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Issues, Abyei
Talks on resolving the status and of the eligibility criteria for voters in the disputed Abyei region broke down in October 2010, although both the central ruling NCP and southern SPLM said their respective teams "will meet again in Ethiopia toward the end of October to continue their discussions. The parties continue to commit themselves to their mutual goal of avoiding a return to conflict."


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Issues, Abyei
Didiri Mohammad Ahmad, an NCP official, said it was "not possible" to hold the referendum on the future of Abyei on time, and it could be delayed for months or be settled without a vote. He added that "We agreed that in the next talks we will try to look for other alternatives."


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Issues, Abyei
Sudan's Defense Minister, Abdel Rahim Mohammed Hussein, suggested the vote may have to be postponed. "According to the reality on the ground...border issues and Abyei must be resolved within the framework of one nation because doing so in the framework of two countries open[s] the door for foreign interference. The referendum is not a goal but a tool to consolidate and promote security and stability. This [UDI] is illegal and will not be recognized by the African Union or the other [organizations] because it would contradict the peace agreement and its procedures."


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Issues, Abyei
Sudan's UN ambassador Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman told the Security Council that "It is evident that any attempt to conduct the plebiscite before achieving an acceptable settlement between the two parties [in Abyei] will mean only a return to war." The United States said it was working to avoid the "danger" that would follow the failure to hold the referendum.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Issues, Abyei
The government Sudan asked the UN for the printing of ballots for the referendum as diplomats and the electoral commission warned of any further delay would miss the deadline to hold the election.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Issues, Abyei
Bishtina Mohammed El Salam of the Misseriya, who dominate the region along with the Dinka tribe, said he would not accept Abyei's seceding and joining the south even though the latter favored secession. "If the Dinka take this decision – to annex Abyei to the south – there will be an immediate war without any excuse. We think they should be reasonable and think about it. They should know that those who are pushing them to take that decision will not give them any back-up."


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Issues, South Kurdufan and Blue Nile
The status of the Nuba Mountains region of South Kurdufan and Blue Nile is more complex as ethnic data is less clear.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Issues, South Kurdufan and Blue Nile
In the Blue Nile, African ethnic groups such as the Berta, Anuak and Koma are dominant in the South. The Northern part, however, has an Arab majority, although the enclave of Ingessana in Tabi Hills is mostly Animist and was targeted by the northern forces during the civil war. The total population stands at 832,112 according to the Election Commission. During the 2010 provincial elections, the NCP won 29 out of the 48 seats, while the SPLM won 17 seats. In the National Assembly elections, the NCP won 6 out of the 10 seats, while the SPLM got 4. However, the SPLM accused the NCP of fraud. The separate gubernatorial election was won by the SPLM candidate, who polled almost 5% votes more than his NCP rival.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Issues, South Kurdufan and Blue Nile
The Nuba Mountain was home to some 1,000,000 ethnic Nuba during 1980. A total of 99 different tribes used to live in this region. When the civil war broke out during the late 1980s, the Nuba aligned with the SPLA. The vast majority of Nuba were taken as prisoners of war and forcibly relocated to camps in North Kordofan and Khartoum. When the fighting ended, only about half the population survived. The rest either surrendered and moved north or were killed during the fighting.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Issues, South Kurdufan and Blue Nile
After the signing of the peace accord, some of the Nuba returned to the mountains, but the tribal elders refused to re-admit them into the tribes as they feared the abductees (mostly young men) were too Islamised. They were finally allowed back into the tribal fold after a 6-month re-education camp.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Issues, South Kurdufan and Blue Nile
The SPLA controls four counties in Southern Kordofan: Lagawa, Kadugli, Rashad and Dilling. In 2005, the Arab dominated West Kordofan was merged in to South Kordofan, resulting in Arabs gaining a majority in the new province.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Issues, South Kurdufan and Blue Nile
The 2008 census reported the total population of South Kordofan at 1,406,404 (though the SPLA claims many ethnic Nuba living in remote regions were not counted). This figure includes the Abyei region and it is not known how many are Nuba, Ngok and Baggara. During the 2010 National Assembly election, the NCP won 13 out of the 17 seats, while the SPLM won 4 seats. The gubernatorial elections were postponed to 2011.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Issues, South Kurdufan and Blue Nile
During the 2010 Presidential elections, the NCP received 69.3% of the votes in South Kordofan and 56.6% in the Blue Nile, while the SPLM received 18.5% of the votes in South Kordofan and 32.7% in the Blue Nile.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Issues, South Kurdufan and Blue Nile
Ahmed Harun of NCP defeated Abdelaziz al-Hilu of the SPLM in the 2011 South Kordofan Gubernatorial elections. Harun received 201,455 votes compared to Hilu's 194,955 votes. NCP won 33 seats in the legislature to SPLM's 22 seats. SPLM refused to acknowledge the results, accusing the NCP of voter intimidation and electoral fraud.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Issues, Religion and tribes
Religion was also expected to significantly influence the referendum. Christian commentators have noted that there is a "climate of chronic discrimination against Sudanese Christians and other minorities." For some, religion was not the issue, while other southerners objected to alleged "Islamisation." Some Southern Sudanese had also claimed that tribalism and racism affected their choice. South Sudanese Muslims supported secession.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Issues, Religion and tribes
President Omar al-Bashir said dual citizenship would not be allowed. According to the CPA, 20 percent of civil service jobs were reserved for southerners, which would then be lost if the country splits.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Issues, Religion and tribes
Questions were also asked about the status of tribes such as the Nuba and Misseriya of South Kordofan that inhabit the border regions with South Sudan.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Polls
When questioned in a poll prior to the official referendum, 97% of South Sudanese people said that they would be voting for independence.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Polls
An early poll of 1,400 individuals was carried out by a coalition of civil society organisations in Southern Sudan prior to the January referendum, indicating that 97% of voters would likely vote for secession. According to John Andruga, chairman of the coalition, 100% of respondents in the states of Unity and Eastern Equatoria would vote for secession. A similar survey carried out one year prior by the US-based National Democratic Institute had indicated that 90% of voters would vote for secession.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Controversies
Authorities in both the north and south of Sudan have been accused of harassment and intimidation against the media in order to avoid dissenting coverage. Rights groups warned the media could be slapped with further restrictions.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Controversies
The Youth and Sports Minister, Haj Majid Suwar, of the National Congress Party (NCP) suggested the government "may not recognise the results" and would "talk to ... the USA and the UN and the AU and say that the Sudan People's Liberation Movement didn't fulfill the CPA Comprehensive Peace Agreement" by allowing open campaigning and the withdrawal of their soldiers from southern areas. He also said that the potential borders between them would have to be drawn up pending redeployment of the SPLM's forces to the 1956 border.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Controversies
Salva Kiir, the president of the southern region and the first vice president of Sudan, said that the referendum's timing was important as there was "a risk of a return to war in case of delay or denial of this exercise, and it would be on a very massive scale." Kuol Deim Kuol, the spokesman for the SPLM's military, accused the NCP of "just looking for a pretext of starting a war" and called Suwar a "war monger."


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Controversies
Sudan's president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, accused the SPLM of breaching the terms of the peace deal and warned of a return to conflict if the disputes were not settled before the referendum. Despite that, he said he was committed to holding the referendum, but insisted on settling differences over the shared border and how to share the oil, debt and Nile river water.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Controversies
The NCP accused the SPLM of discouraging southerners who were living in the north of the country from registering, as the SPLM threatened not to recognize the referendum if its demands were not met. Southerners in the North were reluctant to vote because of fears of being uprooted from their homes. Muslims in the border provinces of the South also expressed fear of a campaign of violence that could be unleashed as a consequence of the referendum. Many feared a return to civil war, should the referendum fail because of the increasingly heated rhetoric. Along with Chad, Sudan sought to secure the border area ahead of the referendum.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Controversies
In addition to warnings of civil war, it was also read that a possible civil war could involve the Lord's Resistance Army and bring Uganda into the conflict.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Controversies
Despite rifts amongst Southern parties, more than 20 parties ironed over their differences to put a show of unity before the referendum. Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal also said the referendum could "reignite violence...rather than bring peace," while he said the vote must be "fair and free."


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Controversies
The United States extended sanctions against Sudan on 1 November 2010 in order to pressure the government to stick to the referendum deadline. The US then offered to drop Sudan from a US list of state-sponsors of terrorism if the two referenda were held on time and the results were respected. They again partook in a statement before the referendum in lauding al-Bashir's statement to respect the vote.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Controversies
Following concerns from the UN about delays, representatives of both regions affirmed a commitment to hold the referendum on time; a media campaign was also launched to raise awareness and increase the turnout.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Controversies
Minni Minnawi, the only Sudan Liberation Army faction signatory to the Darfur Peace Agreement, quit the agreement and resigned his post as Special Advisor to the President, saying the deal had failed. He consequently moved to Juba in the south saying the referendum would be successful as southerners "reject the policy of this [Khartoum] government" and the north would then be a "failed state." In return, the government declared Minnawi an "enemy" and closed his Khartoum office.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Controversies
In December 2010, the Constitutional Court agreed to carry out an investigation into a petition filed by local lawyers seeking the dissolution of the electoral body that was organizing the referendum.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Controversies
Despite calls from the government in southern Sudan that northerners living in the south should be protected, some northerners who were uncertain of their future in an independent state started heading north.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Controversies, Violence
Two days prior to the vote, David Yau Yau's militia and the SPLA clashed outside Pibor.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, External precedents
Questions were asked if a positive vote on the referendum would set a precedent for other secessionist movements on the African continent. An Al Jazeera English analysis said a few reasons for seeking secession were: a lack of expertise by post-colonial political elites in governing their respective countries and managing natural resources; the impact of the Cold War where many African countries took sides, rendering sovereignty ineffective; tribal prejudices and preferential service that dominate African politics; failure of governments to provide basic freedoms such as guaranteeing full citizenship for all.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, External precedents
Citing these examples, it asked where such a precedent for secession could lead: East Sudan and Darfur, Nigeria or South Africa. As two important members of the African Union the latter two could be reluctant to support a new independent southern Sudan as a recognition thereof could "send a very clear message to these groups in their struggle for autonomy."


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Monitors
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and former Tanzanian Prime Minister Joseph Warioba led the Carter Center international observation delegation. US Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, visited Southern Sudan three times during the referendum period, including during polling. Actor George Clooney, who is supporting the Satellite Sentinel Project (using satellites as a conflict early warning system for Sudan), also made visits to Sudan during the referendum period. Several major regional organisations deployed international observers, including the African Union, the European Union, the League of Arab States and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). These organisations issued a joint press statement on the first day of polling.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Monitors
Domestic observation organisations also deployed Sudanese men and women to observe the process, these included the Sudanese Network for Democratic Elections (SuNDE), the Sudan Domestic Elections Monitoring Programme (SuDEMOP) and the Sudanese Group for Democracy and Elections (SuGDE). Other national civil society organisations were also accredited as observers.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Monitors
Normally, the UN does not deploy electoral observers, however, in response to a request from the parties of the CPA, the United Nations Secretary-General's Panel on the Referenda in Sudan was established. The panel is composed of three senior officials, former Tanzania President Benjamin Mkapa, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal António Monteiro, and Bhojraj Pokharel, a former Chairman of the Election Commission of Nepal, who are appointed by and report to the UN Secretary-General. The panel made periodic visits to Sudan during the referendum period and is supported by field reporting officers and stakeholder-observer liaison officers.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Registration
Registration for the vote started on 15 November with Salva Kiir's appeal for registering en masse. Many of those who fled South Sudan during the civil war returned in the months and weeks leading up to the referendum, with some southern politicians trying to have them play a role in swinging the vote towards independence. Almost four million citizens registered before the deadline on 5 December; as the stream of returnees continued unabated, however, many arrived too late to register for the referendum.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Results
Voting on the referendum began on 9 January 2011. On 12 January, after three days of voting, representatives of the SPLA/M announced that, according to their estimates, the 60 percent turnout threshold required for the referendum's validity (corresponding to around 2.3  million voters) had been reached. Official confirmation came later the same day when the referendum commission released a statement announcing that turnout would "exceed" the required 60 percent threshold. Jimmy Carter expressed his belief on 13 January that the referendum would likely meet international standards for both the conduct of the vote and freedom of voters. The United Nations reported that preliminary results would be expected by 2 February 2011, with final results expected within the following two weeks.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Results
According to preliminary counts reviewed by the Associated Press, consisting of 30,000 ballots in 10 polling stations, the sample had a 95% turnout with 96% in favour of secession, 3% in favour of unity and the rest invalid. Mohamed Ibrahim Khalil, chairman of the referendum commission, said 83 percent of eligible voters in the south and 53 percent in the north had voted. The South Sudan Referendum Commission affirmed the validity of the vote, however the vote was still ongoing at the time.


2011 South Sudanese independence referendum, Results
As voting ended, Sudan again vowed to recognise the result.