Election monitoring is the observing of an election by non-partisan, usually international observers. The main purpose of election monitoring is to ensure an election process is fair. Monitors can do little to prevent abuses, but they can ensure such abuses are made public. Criticisms by monitors can remove an election's legitimacy, but only if the observers are themselves considered unbiased. A notable figure is often appointed honorary leader of a monitoring organization in an effort to enhance its legitimacy. An election is a decision making process where people choose people to hold official offices. ... The word legitimacy comes from the Latin word legitimare and it has two uses: Legitimacy (political science) is whether or not people accept the validity of a law or ruling or the validity of a governing regime. ...

The United Nations is the foremost election monitoring organization. The UN Electoral Assistance Division maintains a permanent staff of monitors and election experts who travel around the world. Other international organizations such as the European Union and African Union also have monitoring teams. Individual governments also participate in monitoring efforts, generally under the umbrella of an international organization. These national efforts are normally managed by the local electoral commission. A wide array of NGOs also participate in monitoring efforts. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are to facilitate co-operation in international law, international security, economic development, and social equity. ... Anthem: Let Us All Unite and Celebrate Together Capital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Membership 53 member states Official languages The languages of Africa, as well as Arabic, English, French, Portuguese and Swahili Formation - As Organisation of African Unity - As AU - May 25, 1963 - July 9, 2002 Chairman of the African Union... The term non-governmental organization (NGO) is used in a variety of ways all over the world and, depending on the context in which it is used, can refer to many different types of organizations. ...

The monitoring itself takes many forms. Even the most closely scrutinized elections have only a small number of observers. These observers are generally concentrated in areas that may be subject to problems, making surprise visits to polling stations with cameras and recording devices. Foreign observers rarely speak the language or understand the culture of the country where the election is being monitored. The vast majority of election monitoring thus relies on locals^{[citation needed]}. Most domestic observers tend to be partisans looking out for the interests of their party and it is a challenge for international observers to parse the information they receive from these sources^{[citation needed]}.

The first monitored election was that of a plebiscite in Moldavia and Wallachia that was monitored by most of the major European powers. Election monitoring was uncommon until after the Second World War. Moldavia (Moldova in Romanian) was a Romanian principality, originally created in the Middle Ages, now divided between Romania, Moldovan Republic and Ukraine. ... Map of Romania with Wallachia in yellow. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...

The elections that are seen to be monitored are normally in countries where the democracy is seen as somewhat unstable and where there is a perceived threat that the election might be stolen. A team of monitors observed the 2004 United States election, after concerns of voter inaccuracy in the 2000 U.S. election. Presidential election results map. ... Presidential electoral votes by state. ...

See also

• CIS election observation missions
• Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)
• Election fraud

On October 2002, the Commonwealth of Independent States adopted at a heads of states meeting, the Convention on the Standards of Democratic Elections, Electoral Rights, and Freedoms in the Member States of the Commonwealth of Independent States. ... The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is an international organization for security. ... Electoral fraud is the deliberate interference with the process of an election. ...

External links

• Election monitoring
• UN Electoral Assistance Division