Observing national elections

Description

Observing national elections involves deploying impartial monitors to assess the fairness, transparency, and integrity of electoral processes. This strategy aims to deter fraud, intimidation, and procedural irregularities by providing independent verification of election conduct. By documenting and reporting on compliance with legal and democratic standards, election observation helps build public trust, supports peaceful transitions of power, and offers recommendations to remedy systemic weaknesses, thereby strengthening democratic institutions and promoting credible, inclusive governance.

Implementation

As of 1993, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has decided to be present at national electoral processes which are organized, supervised, or verified by the United Nations. IPU election-observer missions are composed of parliamentarians who observe the registration of voters, the election campaign, the casting of ballots, and the verification of the results. IPU has sent election-observer teams to Namibia (1989), Cambodia (1993), and El Salvador (1994).