Across the world, citizen and international election observers have been deployed to watch over polls, to improve electoral quality and transparency. Their presence is designed to reduce problems such as election-day fraud, voter suppression, and political violence. In African countries, observers have been commonly deployed since the 1990s. However, during recent elections across the continent, their role has been questioned. Some feel that their methods are flawed, while others have accused them of bias. Nevertheless, it is not clear how widespread these views are, as citizens’ perspectives are often missing from debate. Read More
Robert Macdonald and Thomas Molony conducted research investigating election observation in Zambia, The Gambia, and Kenya. Their research examines how citizens perceive and evaluate election observation.
The research team interviewed 540 citizens about their perceptions of election observation in urban and rural areas. They also conducted 40 interviews with African journalists.
Their findings suggest that support for election observation is exceptionally strong. Across all three countries, interviewees expressed suspicion about the electoral process and reported their belief that observers improve electoral quality and transparency, and contribute to maintaining peace.
Despite this, the interviewees had difficulty identifying observers and often confused them with other electoral actors. Few were able to name any specific observer missions, and many were unclear on observers’ roles.
This was compounded by the challenges citizens face in accessing information, particularly in rural areas. In all three countries – Zambia, The Gambia, and Kenya – voters have little access to media coverage of observers and are sometimes exposed to misinformation and disinformation about them. This makes it difficult for citizens to hold informed views on the performance of election observation missions. The media can help to address this.
In the three countries, the media generally holds a positive view of election observation missions. However, there is currently no emphasis on covering election observation, and reporters often have little expertise on the subject.
In the interviews, journalists acknowledged the conflicting priorities of observers and the media. The election observers’ role is to make nuanced and technical ‘preliminary statements’ about various election components. Journalists, who need to create engaging content for ordinary people, often simplify these statements in ways that can obscure their meaning.
To help combat this, Macdonald and Molony have drawn upon interviews with African journalists to create a list of tips for covering observation. They recommend actively engaging with election observation missions, and highlight the importance of interacting with a range of observer groups. Finally, they highlight the importance of communicating in local languages.
Election observation missions can play a key role in ensuring high-quality and transparent electoral processes. However, it is vital that voters develop a greater understanding of their role, and that the media prioritises their coverage.
