Summary
Observers should be permitted to follow all aspects and stages of an electoral process.
Obligations
Election Parts
Issues
- Partisan and Nonpartisan Observation of Vote Counting and Tabulation
- Partisan and Nonpartisan Observation of Voting Operations
- Transparency in Electoral Management Body Decision Making and Procurement
- Observation of the Campaign Period
- Partisan and Nonpartisan Observation of the Voter Registration Process
- Election Observation
Criteria
- Candidates and their representatives, as well as observers, were able to observe polling and counting
- The vote-counting process was transparent and observable
- The electoral management body ensured transparency in its decision making; for example, through open meetings and the use of public and competitive tenders
- Election observers were able to observe the campaign process
- Citizen observers were able to access and comment on all parts of the electoral process, including voter registration
- International observers were accredited and were able to access and comment on all parts of the electoral process
Quotes
- An international election observation mission therefore should not be organized unless the country holding the election takes the following actions: (…) b. Guarantees unimpeded access of the international election observer mission to all stages of the election process and all election technologies, including electronic technologies and the certification processes for electronic voting and other technologies, without requiring election observation missions to enter into confidentiality or other nondisclosure agreements concerning technologies or election processes, and recognizes that international election observation missions may not certify technologies as acceptable.
- An international election observation mission therefore should not be organized unless the country holding the election takes the following actions: (…) c. Guarantees unimpeded access to all persons concerned with election processes, including: i electoral officials at all levels, upon reasonable requests, ii members of legislative bodies and government and security officials whose functions are relevant to organizing genuine democratic elections, iii all of the political parties, organizations and persons that have sought to compete in the elections (including those that qualified, those that were disqualified and those that withdrew from participating) and those that abstained from participating, iv news media personnel, and v all organizations and persons that are interested in achieving genuine democratic elections in the country.
- An international election observation mission therefore should not be organized unless the country holding the election takes the following actions: (…) d. Guarantees freedom of movement around the country for all members of the international election observer mission.
- An international election observation mission therefore should not be organized unless the country holding the election takes the following actions: (…) e. Guarantees the international election observer mission’s freedom to issue without interference public statements and reports concerning its findings and recommendations about election related processes and developments.
- An international election observation mission therefore should not be organized unless the country holding the election takes the following actions: (…) f. Guarantees that no governmental, security or electoral authority will interfere in the selection of individual observers or other members of the international election observation mission or attempt to limit its numbers.
- The lack of adequate security for deployment of observers/monitors or not being provided accreditation and access to electoral facilities or other factors may prevent systematic scrutiny of election processes.