democracy w of an election 2023 ANNA BARCLAY


people and stay friends with them for a very long time.” Election observations attract a wide range of people. I


befriended a former Nordic defence minister and an Olympic-level figure-skating coach. But the best encounters were with so many Macedonians – whether voters, election administrators, translators, or officials – doing their part to ensure people could have their say. ODIHR’s philosophy and methodology are based on the


principle that observation is not a one-day event but requires the presence of observers before, during and after polling day. Without this approach, my understanding of local issues and ability to speak with officials would have been severely limited. Perhaps this is something to take on board in journalism, especially when covering international events. The reception we got was also different from that I often


experience as a journalist. There was much less scepticism, for one thing. With an ODIHR armband, you’re not just an individual getting a story; you’re the face of a bigger, perhaps more trusted organisation. But I still prefer being the lone reporter for my day job. Some polling stations we visited and observed on election


day were tiny and rural. Some were in ancient churches up steep hills. Others were in schools with 30 registered voters and only two or three students. This is not unknown in the UK, but to have several such schools and polling stations a few miles apart was surprising. Observers are rarely paid. While travel and accommodation costs were covered and we received a per diem for food and incidentals, there was no financial remuneration. This unavoidably limits the pool of people who can take part. But international bodies would argue paying salaries would limit their ability to organise sufficiently sizeable election missions. While Macedonia is a safe, peaceful country, many missions take place in less stable states with higher risks. As in conflict reporting, some people feel a calling to take part in work despite or even because of possible dangers. Brooke Nagle, a California retiree, has observed more than


20 elections around the world in the past decade. She says that while “some election observation missions could be dangerous, I have never felt at personal risk” and adds that “challenges in countries with very limited resources” were often related to accessing clean water. Her motivation for election observations stems from the possibility to make “positive changes in the democratic process”, she says.


Should journalists get involved? I think journalists make excellent observers, especially if you are naturally curious about new places and can adapt to changing and sometimes challenging circumstances. An ability to get along with people is key, not to mention


Anttoni James Nummenin (right) with fellow observer Jack Van Valkenburgh


extremely long hours on election day – nothing new there. The observer role is defined as being neutral, objective and


“


Journalists make excellent observers if curious about new places and able to adapt to changing circumstances


impartial ensuring transparency. Journalism shares many of its goals, but I believe there is no absolute objectivity in journalism and the ability of a reporter to gauge nuances and pursue stories and lines of inquiry is not necessarily compatible with the goals of a mission. If you see a discrepancy, you note it down and move on. The tried-and-tested methodology places a premium on collective, rather than individual, findings with final reports and recommendations, but does not have the immediacy of journalism. As elections change and methods of influencing them become more difficult to track, upholding free, transparent and democratic processes becomes harder. Disinformation and the questioning of basic principles underpinning democratic societies is being used to influence electorates. Even if secrecy at the physical ballot box is maintained, it is less meaningful if voters cannot know what or who to trust. I asked Nagle what she thought about the role of journalists on observation missions. She says: “I believe there has to be distance between the media and observer groups as the goals of both groups are not the same,” she says. And, while I agree and think you cannot do both at once, there is a lot to be learned from each other.


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