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Description
The project allows Expert Forum (EFOR) to monitor the process of amending the electoral legislation for local and parliamentary elections in 2020 and to provide emergency intervention through legal instruments and public reactions. Given the numerous proposals to modify the electoral system for local elections and the public discussions regarding potential early parliamentary elections, the large number of amendments and the proximity to the election day can affect the integrity of elections and the level of voters’ understanding. EFOR will support the coordination of FiecareVot (EveryVote*) coalition to monitor local elections and will publish a public report on the implementation of the legislation, accompanied by recommendations and debates with decision makers.
EFOR will conduct an information campaign for at least 50,000 voters through the portal www.votcorect.ro, and on election day it will organize an electoral assistance center (Telverde with 10 telephone lines). The election day will be monitored with at least 400 observers, with special attention to young people, for whom training will be provided. The results of the monitoring process will be promoted in real time. EFOR will issue press releases whenever necessary and will publish at least three press releases on the election day.
EFOR will coordinate and support the development of the capacity of the FiecareVot (EveryVote) coalition made up of organizations from Bucharest and other cities in the country. The partner - the Center for Civic Resources - will coordinate the training and observation activities in the East and South East regions of the country and will contribute to the efforts to inform voters. The project will contribute both to the development of a civic community involved in the monitoring of elections, as well as to the increase of the capacity and sustainability of NGOs.
*Every Vote is a civic initiative started in 2014 to observe elections and referendums in Romania.
Summary of project results
The project aimed to monitor the amending the electoral legislation for the 2020 local elections and ensure EFOR’s rapid intervention through legal instruments and public reactions.
Through the proposed objectives, the project ensured the transparency of the electoral process, informed the voters about its rules and ensured the monitoring of the election day with observers accredited by the member organizations of the FiecareVot coalition. EFOR monitored the activity of the institutions involved in organizing the elections and intervened on numerous occasions with comments or requests regarding the lack of regulations or their timeliness. EFOR organized a workshop for the members of the FiecareVot coalition and accredited 448 observers that monitored 900 polling stations. The observers were prepared through training and received the Observer’s Handbook, which was also available to the public. EFOR organized a campaign to inform voters about the electoral rules through the platform www.votcorect.ro, which reached 650 thousand through the Vot Corect and EFOR FB pages, respectively over 100 thousand visitors on the platform itself. EFOR operated the Telverde service (0800 080 200), which registered 324 calls, handled by legal volunteers and electoral experts.
Two monitoring reports were published, including recommendations for decision makers, which were released and discussed publicly. EFOR communicated all the activities through press releases, social media, respectively the web pages votcorect.ro, expertforum.ro and fiecarrvot.ro. The beneficiaries of the project were informed about ACF through the materials made and during the events. The project allowed the continuation of the activities of the FiecareVot coalition and the development of new capacities to organize election observation. All reports and policy documents will be used in the next period to support the electoral reform and the need for a consolidated Electoral Code.