Monitoring the electoral process is an important integrity safeguard. It is part of the checks and balance mechanisms that protect the viability and honesty of election administration and the participation by political parties, candidates and interest groups.
Monitoring ensures compliance with the legal framework and acts as a deterrent to those thinking about undertaking questionable activities. The public reporting by monitors increases transparency and helps ensure accountability.
Monitoring includes Official Oversight by a government auditor or agency, as well as observation of the process by the Media, Political Party Monitors, Non-Governmental Organizations (see National Election Observation) and international observation groups (see International Election Observation). It can also be done by other groups, such as official observers appointed by an election policy body, which is done in India. 274
Effective monitoring should cover the entire electoral process and not be limited to voter registration or polling. A preliminary list of areas for monitors to cover, developed by Horacio Boneo, former Director of the UN Electoral Assistance Division, include:
- adequacy of legal framework;
- adequacy of electoral procedures and preparations, including training of electoral staff;
- existence, adequacy and timely implementation of impartial complaint and adjudication procedures during the pre-electoral process;
- delimitation of constituencies;
- registration of voters;
- voter information and education;
- registration of political parties, alliances and candidates;
- freedom of assembly and movement, freedom from fear and intimidation;
- freedom of expression and equitable access to the media;
- funding of campaigns and the existence of a reasonably 'balanced' field;
- use of public resources for campaign purposes;
- observation of events on polling day;
- vote counting/compilation of the results; and
- existence, adequacy and timely implementation of impartial complaint and adjudication procedures related to the results of the election. 275
Monitoring by non-governmental observers can be partisan (such as political party monitors or a biassed press) or nonpartisan (such as public interest groups or an impartial press). Whether partisan or neutral, both types of monitoring play very important integrity roles.
Partisan monitoring focuses on the protection of a favoured candidate or party's interests. Ensuring monitors from different political parties are able to follow the process, ensures that any incident that is detrimental to a candidate or party will be reported.
Nonpartisan observers are expected to be impartial, and to provide objective reporting. As reporting on elections usually involves rendering a judgement on the process, the integrity of the monitoring effort is important. Integrity issues involved with monitoring are discussed in Integrity Issues in Oversight, Integrity in Domestic Observation and Integrity in International Observation.
