ODIHR Election Observation of the 2024 European Parliament Elections The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human national legislation across all 27 EU Member States. Ex- Rights (ODIHR) has been invited by all the European pert teams will visit 20 of the EU Member States in the Union Member States to observe the 6-9 June 2024 run-up to election day. Observers will not carry out any elections to the European Parliament (EP). In response, comprehensive observation of the voting, counting and in line with its mandate and based on the findings of a tabulation on election day, but mission members will visit pre-election needs assessment mission, ODIHR is send- a limited number of polling stations on all election days. ing a special election assessment mission (SEAM) to these elections. The SEAM will follow and assess a number of specific electoral issues: What is ODIHR election observation? • Practical implementation of the European and ODIHR carries out election observation in participating national legal frameworks States across the entire OSCE area. Election observa- tion missions assess the extent to which fundamental • Controls on party and campaign finance freedoms are respected in the campaign and the elec- tions are characterized by equality, universality, political • Monitoring social networks of selected parties, pluralism, confidence, transparency and accountability. candidates and institutions at the European level ODIHR’s mandate to observe elections comes from the OSCE commitments outlined in the 1990 OSCE Copen- • Voter and candidate registration hagen Document, other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as the na- • Participation of under-represented tional legislation of EU Member States. Since the Office’s groups: women, youth, establishment over 30 years ago, ODIHR has deployed national minorities, people more than 400 missions. ODIHR regularly conducts with disabilities election observation activities in individual EU Member States and has also previously observed the European • Participation of citizen Parliament elections. observers and inter- national observers What will be the scope of the mission?
The format chosen for this mission is tailored to its spe- cific scale and nature, as well as existing resource con- straints. The EP elections are effectively 27 different national elections to a supra-national body. They are administered nationally and conducted on the basis of 27 different sets of election rules; there are only a few EU-wide rules that all Member States are obliged to follow.
The mission will observe the entirety of the European Parliament elections and assess the conduct of the elections for their compliance with OSCE com- mitments and other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as with Who is conducting the mission? How will the mission report its observations?
The mission is headed by Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir The mission will publish its preliminary findings and con- and consists of seven international experts from seven clusions the day after the elections, on 10 June. It will OSCE states based in Brussels from 15 May, as well also compile the collective observations from across as ten regional analysts from ten different states who the Member States into a comprehensive final report, will be deployed in teams of two across the EU from 20 which will contain recommendations to the authorities, May. The core team in Brussels are all citizens of non- both regional and national. These reports are intended EU countries. to help participating States and EU institutions improve their electoral processes for the benefit of their citizens. The constructive recommendations are made in the spirit of working towards the fulfilment of shared OSCE commitments.
Needs Assessment Core Team Opening press Mission deployment conference November 2023- 15 May 17 May January 2024
Statement of preliminary Election days Regional analysts’ findings and conclusions 6-9 June deployment 10 June 20 May
Core Team departure Final report 14 June some months after the elections
New Voting Observation of Handbook on Handbook for Guidelines for Handbook on Handbook Handbook on Technologies EMBs Observing and the Observation Observation Observing and for the Observing and (ICT) in Promoting of Election of Election Promoting Observation Promoting the elections Women’s Campaigns Campaigns the Electoral of Campaign Participation Electoral and Political on Social Participation of Finance of National Participation Environments Networks Persons with Minorities Disabilities in Electoral Processes
ODIHR election handbooks collection
OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Ul. Miodowa 10 Office: +48 22 520 06 00 office@odihr.pl 00-251 Warsaw Fax: +48 22 520 06 05 www.osce.org/odihr Poland
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