Host
country issues are challenging, complex and close charged. To complicate
matters, external voting programmes are often conducted hastily to tight
timetables. There is little clarity regarding who has the mandate to advocate,
facilitate and evaluate external voting. There are no consistent policies,
practices or standards guiding host governments’ positions and
responsibilities. Differences in political culture, administrative structure,
infrastructure, and legal framework must be taken into consideration. However,
there are a few components of external voting programmes that have begun to
standardize.
- Any information on individuals
that may come into the hands of the host country as a result of the
external voting programme should be used exclusively for the external
voting programme.
- The legality of an individual’s
residency, including a lack of documentation, does not affect an
individual’s eligibility to exercise his or her right to political
participation.
- Participation in an external
voting programme should not affect the political, economic or social
inclusion of individuals within their host country in any way.
- While host countries may have a
role in the registration process, usually through providing demographic
data, it is important that protections are put in place to prevent foreign
governments from influencing the electoral outcome through an engineered
turnout by screening the registration process.
- It is critical that host
countries facilitate and support the dissemination of information,
including voter and civic education as well as political campaigns.
- Participation in an external
voting programme should neither prevent nor delay the voluntary
repatriation of refugees living in the host country.
- The political, financial and
logistical obstacles to external voting programmes should be approached
with the intention of overcoming them. The costs of not conducting
external voting may, in the long run, be much greater.
