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Description
The project allows Expert Forum (EFOR) to monitor the electoral process for the 2020 parliamentary elections and to provide emergency intervention through legal instruments and public reactions. Given the numerous proposals to amend the electoral law, the large number of amendments and the approach of Election Day may affect the integrity of elections and the level of voters’ understanding. Problems reported in relation to the election administration indicate a need to monitor the activity of the PEA more closely. EFOR will support the coordination of FiecareVot coalition to monitor the parliamentary elections and publish a public report on the implementation of the legislation, accompanied by recommendations and debates with decision makers. The project will give priority to anti-COVID-19 measures and their implementation. EFOR will carry out an information campaign for at least 60,000 voters through the portal www.votcorect.ro and, on election day, will organize an electoral assistance center (Telverde with 5 telephone lines). Election Day will be monitored by at least 300 trained observers. The results of the monitoring process will be promoted in real time through press releases and posts on social networks. EFOR will coordinate and support the development of the capacity of the FiecareVot coalition formed by organizations from Bucharest and other cities in the country. The partner - the Center for Civic Resources - will coordinate training and observation activities and monitor the activity of the electoral administration in the Eastern and South-Eastern regions and will contribute to the efforts to inform voters. The project will contribute both to the development of a civic community involved in election monitoring and to increasing the capacity and sustainability of NGOs.
Summary of project results
The aim of the project was to monitor the process of amending the electoral legislation for the parliamentary elections of 5-6 December 2020 (300 observers were trained in this regard) and to ensure the rapid public intervention of EFOR through legal instruments (requests, complaints, reports) and public reactions.
Some of the problems reported in the local elections remained a potential risk for the optimal conduct of the elections. Also, last-minute decisions, vaguely worded about voting procedures during the pandemic, affected the way the electoral process was organized, with the risk that some voters would not be able to vote while remaining present. During the electoral process, EFOR requested through open letters or petitions to the electoral administration, the Government and the Emergency Situations Department to take measures for the voting of quarantined persons, but also within the quarantined localities.
In order to ensure the public information, EFOR carried out a public information campaign on the most frequent voting rules, with special emphasis on those related to health safety conditions, through the portal www.votcorect.ro and through the social media channels of the organization; on election days EFOR organized an electoral assistance center for the country and abroad (Telverde service with 5 telephone lines), to which 369 beneficiaries appealed. More than 500 polling stations were covered on election days with accredited observers, and the results were communicated in real time, as well as through an interim report, published on 7 December. The observers were trained through a training and received a manual, which was also made available to the public. FiecareVot also observed the polling stations that organized the voting by mail and expressed several public positions regarding the outer envelopes that did not arrive in time to be registered and that generated heated public debates.