Independent observers are an important integrity mechanism. These are citizen groups or organized public interest groups that objectively monitor the process. As their interest is good, clean elections, they are not supposed to have a partisan stake in the election outcome and, in principle, should provide more objective reporting.
Observing an election involves watching the process closely, gathering information on how it unrolls and making an informed judgement on how it went. IDEA 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.96
National Observation
The role of national observers in promoting a free and fair election includes:
- detect and deter integrity problems by closely monitoring the process and signaling any irregularities or integrity problems witnessed;
- increase transparency by publicly reporting on the process, identifying problems and assessing whether they impacted on the election results;
- make a judgement on the integrity of the elections. In the newer democracies this can be whether the elections were 'acceptable' or 'free and fair' and whether the results reflected the will of the voters. In the older democracies, the emphasis of domestic monitoring tends to focus on the influence of special interest money or the quality of the electoral campaign, rather than on the actual election procedures themselves; and
- recommend procedural or policy changes to improve election integrity.
Active monitoring by domestic monitors (see National Election Observation) provides feedback to the electoral management and policy bodies on problems encountered. This allows for corrections to be made during the process, rather than after, when it is too late to make any changes. In some cases, active monitoring can be more effective in maintaining election integrity than passive monitoring, which does not interact with the election managers and results in a report at the end of the process. Raising an integrity issue when it is first observed enables its correction before the problem becomes large enough to systematically, or negatively, affect the electoral process.
International Observation
International Election Observation has become widespread in countries that receive international donor assistance for elections, and in countries undergoing a democratic transition. International observation is done by many different organizations and the international donor community. Most international observation is objective and assists the notion of free, fair and competitive elections.
International observation can:
- identify problems and bring them to the attention of the election management or policy bodies;
- ensure corrective action is taken to problems through follow-up monitoring and conditioning of donor funding;
- assist with the credibility and legitimacy of the process through periodic public reporting on what has been observed;
- help bolster voter confidence through their presence, resulting in increased participation in voter registration and polling;
- facilitate the work of domestic monitors working under difficult circumstances by asking the hard questions, or raising issues that domestic monitors are afraid to ask;
- provide a sense of security for domestic monitors in elections with intimidation and security problems; and
- act as a deterrent to those interested in subverting the system through their active presence and interest.
International observation that is not neutral or balanced can create a number of integrity problems which are discussed in Integrity in International Observation.
