Countries – listed by
date of elections Organisation STO LTO Expert Women Men Myanmar - pre-election The Carter Centre 0 1 0 0 1
Tajikistan OSCE/ODIHR 4 2 0 3 3
Uzbeksistan OSCE/ODIHR 0 1 0 1 0
Nigeria EU 0 1 0 0 1
Kazakhstan OSCE/ODIHR 7 2 0 5 4
Albania OSCE/ODIHR 4 1 0 3 2
Turkey parliamentary OSCE/ODIHR 0 2 0 2 0
Moldova OSCE/ODIHR 0 1 0 1 0
Haiti - local EU 2 0 0 1 1
Haiti - legislative and 1st
round presidential EU 1 0 0 0 1
Sri Lanka EU 1 0 0 1 0
Kyrgyzstan OSCE/ODIHR 4 2 0 3 3
Belarus OSCE/ODIHR 4 2 0 4 2
Ukraine local OSCE/ODIHR 25 8 0 16 17
Ukraine local
2nd round OSCE ODIHR 11 0 4 7
Tanzania EU 3 1 0 2 2
Turkey early parliamentary OSCE/ODIHR 0 2 0 1 1
Myanmar EU 3 1 0 2 2
Guinea EU 1 0 0 0 1
Burkina Faso EU 2 1 0 1 2
Haiti - 2nd round
presidential and local EU 0 1 0 0 1
Zimbabwe MFA/embassy 0 0 1 0 1
Total 72 29 1 50 52 102
More than 100 observers in 18 Election Missions
NORDEM is Norway’s official mechanism for providing election observers to inter-national election observation missions and every year NORDEM observers contrib-ute to observing and assessing elections throughout the world. International election observation provides advice and recommen-dations on the electoral process of a country to all stakeholders. International election observation can also help to build public confidence in electoral processes, promote civil and political rights and create confidence that can foster national reconciliation in post-conflict countries.
In 2015, NORDEM deployed 102 election observers to a total of 18 election observation missions carried out by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the EU and the Carter Center. NORDEM deploys long term observers (LTOs) for a period of approximately two months and short term observers (STO) for one to two
weeks. In addition, NORDEM occasionally seconds experts to the mission’s core team or contracts independent election experts for country specific assignments or to under-take thematic research.
All NORDEM observers are trained in election observation methodology and are thoroughly briefed and de-briefed by country experts and NORDEM staff before and after each mission. The observers write reports from their missions that provide NORDEM and other interested partners, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with valuable input on and analysis of the electoral process and political context in the country in question. Moreover, NORDEM’s two decades of experience from international election observation is regarded as a resource, also in election related activities in Norway.
NORDEM develops tuition programmes and also hosts election management bodies or parliamentary delegations, mainly from countries in political transition.
Moldovan voter casting her vote (photo: Nicolay Paus)
The Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation As a signatory to the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, NORDEM together with other international actors that have endorsed the Declaration and the accompanying Code of Conduct, continued to pledge its commitment to assuring integrity and transparency in international election observation. Being a signatory allows us to participate in the annual meetings where trends, develop-ments and challenges to international election observation are discussed. The Declaration was formally endorsed by representatives of 22 organizations at a ceremony hosted by the United Nations on 27 October 2005.
ODIHR Election Observation Missions The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) conducts election observation missions and assessments in all OSCE participating states and their election observation methodology provides in-depth insight into all elements necessary for a demo-cratic electoral process. ODIHR emphasizes fundamental principles that are central to a democratic tradition. The ODIHR is the one of the main receivers of NORDEM election observers who each year provide valuable contributions to the work of the office in monitoring and enhancing democratic development. In 2015, NORDEM sent election observers to a total of 10 missions in the OSCE region, among them to the presidential and legislative elections in Turkey and to the important local elections in Ukraine.
Election Observation Missions with the European Union
The EU views genuine elections as an essential basis for sustainable development and a functioning democracy as well as an impor-tant driver for peace, security and conflict prevention. EU’s support to democratic electoral processes takes the form of electoral assistance projects and EU election observation missions, in which NORDEM is a key partner.
In 2015, NORDEM sent election observers to a total of seven EU election observation missions in Africa and Asia. Four NORDEM observers were part of the EU’s first ever election observation to Myanmar observing the country’s historic elections in November 2015. NORDEM observers also participated in missions to Burkina Faso, Guinea and Haiti to mention a few.
Election Observation Missions with the Carter Center
The Carter Center, in partnership with Emory University, is a pioneer of election observation and has since 1989 forged many of the techniques now common to the field. After our initial cooperation with the Center in South Sudan involving long term election observers monitoring the political and electoral process leading up to the ref-erendum in 2011, the Carter Center has become an increasingly important partner for NORDEM. One of NORDEMs most experi-enced observers strengthened the Carter Center’s long-term observation mission deployed to Myanmar a year ahead of the elections and contributed to raising aware-ness of international election observation and democratic election standards among national stakeholders.
What Is a Short-Term Election Observer?
Short-term observers usually spend about a week in the country, and visit polling stations on election day. Their job is to observe the polling, counting and tabulation procedures, and to report their findings. Observers visit, on average, about ten polling stations on election day, where they fill out forms (each form contains general questions, as well as questions related to specific issues that are important for that particular election) to gather detailed information about each
What is a Long-Term Election Observer?
An essential element of election observa-tion methodology is its long-term compre-hensive coverage of the entire election process countrywide. Long-term observers arrive 4-6 weeks prior to the elections and cover a specific geographical or administra-tive area. They meet with all relevant elec-tion related stakeholders and undertake an assessment of a broad range of issues like the election administration, voter registra-tion, candidate registraregistra-tion, campaign,
polling station. Each form contributes to the overall statistical profile of how polling- station procedures are being conducted throughout the country, which the core team analyses and uses to draw conclusions about the election day process. This permits the observation mission to determine whether irregularities, when they occur, are of an isolated nature or are systematic.
(Source: OSCE E-learning for short term observers).
media, human rights, civil society, com-plaint and appeals and post-election issues.
Each LTO team produces a weekly report on the development in their area of responsi-bility to the mission. In addition, LTOs are responsible for preparing and managing the deployment of STO teams in their area of responsibility.
(Source: Handbook for European Union election Observation)
Election staff at work. (photo: Nicolay Paus)
IN THE FIELD