An important responsibility of political parties is to act as watchdogs during the election process, to protect the party’s interests by closely monitoring the correctness of the procedures used during the elections. The crucial role of party representatives is to witness the entire procedure and to check for irregularities that might constitute fraud. This requires the presence of the parties during the registration process, when the ballot boxes are sealed, during the voting process, when the ballot boxes are opened, when votes are counted, and when ballot boxes are transported.
Advantages of the involvement of party and candidate agents monitoring the election include that they contribute to the legitimacy and trust of the process. Political parties that have observed the electoral process are less likely to oppose the official results unless they have evidence of fraud. It can also reduce the cost of the elections by employing voluntary observers during, for example, the transportation of votes, instead of relying on costly security and expensive material. The risks of such an approach, on the other hand, may be that the party and candidate agents dominate the process and intimidate voters and candidates.
Countries have different ways of registering voters. A task normally expected of parties in countries where registration is voluntary and not automatic, is to ensure that their supporters are included on the voter’s roll. They may also have the task of objecting to the registration of those they feel are not entitled to be on the register. In many counties, the public authorities leave it to the rival parties to conduct the policing of the register (voter’s list) on the assumption that their local organisations will have local knowledge and that it will be in their self-interest to object to the inclusion of ineligible individuals placed on the register by their political opponents. In order to allow this “policing by party”, the system in many countries is to publish a draft or provisional register; followed by a period of complaints and objections, only after which the final register comes into force.
The presence of agents of candidates and parties during the voting is a strong anti-fraud device. However, this depends on the ability of each party to recruit and train the necessary number of local representatives. It has proven difficult for parties in some countries to recruit poll watchers in areas where they were politically weak. The opposite problem can also occur, i.e., the polling stations become overcrowded with dozens of agents.
Monitoring the transport of ballots and sensitive election equipment can be done by party monitors or independent observers. In many cases, police or other security personnel accompany the transported material. In established democracies, sometimes a high trust level results in no monitoring of the transport whatsoever. Polling station staff might transport the votes themselves.
One of the most difficult and yet essential parts of the process to monitor is the vote count. Mechanisation, or a complex count, may lead to suspicion on the part of the party monitors. A clear understanding of procedures is essential to present proper challenges to inaccuracies or unfairness at the count.
