Election monitoring

Monitors do not directly prevent electoral fraud, but rather record and report instances of suspicious practices.

The monitoring may serve to disincentivize, prevent or minimize practices that undermine election quality,[1][2] as well as election-related violence.

[3] Election observation increasingly looks at the entire electoral process over a long period of time, rather than at election-day proceedings only.

Individual governments also participate in monitoring efforts, generally under the umbrella of an international organization.

On election day, short-term observers monitor the opening of polling stations, the vote cast, and the counting and tabulation of results.

Most observation missions send a small number of long-term monitors (known as LTOs) for a period of six to eight weeks.

A larger number of short-term observers (known as STOs) then join the mission for the final week of the campaign.

STOs provide mostly quantitative observation of polling station and count procedures, with LTOs supplying qualitative analysis and contextual information about the wider political situation.

[18] However, the Congress of the Council of Europe, in cooperation with the Venice Commission, is specifically mandated to monitor local and regional elections and is unique in this regard.