Independent observers play an important part in maintaining election integrity. Whether domestic or international, these observers objectively monitor the process. Since their interest is to ensure that elections are fair and above-board, they must not take a position on election issues. As a matter of principle, they must provide objective reporting.

Observing an election involves closely monitoring the process, gathering information on how the event unfolds and making an overall assessment of the election. The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance has identified several roles for observers, including:

• legitimizing the election process;
• building confidence;
• improving the prospects for democratization;
• enhancing the electoral process; and
• reducing or preventing conflict. [1]

National Observation

A wide variety of non-governmental organizations and other organized civil society groups act as domestic monitors. Active monitoring by domestic observers provides feedback to electoral administrators and policy makers about problems encountered. This allows for corrections to be made during the process, when there is still time to act. As a result, active monitoring can be more effective in maintaining election integrity than passive monitoring, which simply produces a report after the process is over, without any interaction with electoral administrators. By highlighting an integrity issue when it is first observed, monitors allow for the problem to be corrected before it undermines the electoral process.

National observers can promote free and fair elections. They perform the following tasks:

• Detect and deter integrity problems by closely monitoring the process, and draw attention to any irregularity or integrity problem observed.
• Increase transparency by publicly reporting on the process, identifying problems and assessing their impact on the election results.
• Assess the integrity of the election. In newer democracies, this may mean assessing whether elections were “acceptable” or “free and fair,” and whether the results reflect the will of the voters. In older democracies, domestic monitoring tends to focus on how money from interest groups influences the quality of the electoral campaign, rather than how elections are conducted.
• Recommend procedural or policy changes to improve election integrity.

International Observation

International observers serve as monitors in countries that receive international donor assistance for elections, and countries undergoing a democratic transition. International observation is performed by many different organizations, particularly the United Nations, the Commonwealth, the Organization of American States, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, IFES, and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance.

International observation can perform the following tasks:

• Identify problems and bring them to the attention of the election management or policy-making body.
• Ensure action to rectify and follow up on problems, and see that this action is a condition for donor funding.
• Issue observation reports that contribute to the credibility and legitimacy of the process.
• Help bolster voter confidence, thereby increasing the number of eligible voters who register and cast ballots.
• Facilitate the work of domestic monitors by asking the hard questions that they hesitate to ask.
• Provide reassurance to domestic monitors facing intimidation or other security problems.
• Through their presence and attention, act as a deterrent to those wishing to subvert the system.

International observation that is not impartial or balanced can create integrity problems.

NOTES

[1] International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, Code of Conduct for the Ethical and Professional Observation of Elections, 1997.