Spain early parliamentary elections 2019: ODIHR observation mission final report

Following Spain’s early parliamentary elections on 28 April 2019, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has published its final conclusions. The elections were highly competitive and parties were able to present diverse political views.  However, the campaign`s tone was at times harsh and antagonistic.

Key recommendations include:

• further regulating data-driven and online electoral campaigning to ensure transparency, data protection and voters’ informed choice, as well as to safeguard public trust and a level playing field for the electoral contestants;
• reviewing legislation on media coverage of the elections to make it possible for parties not represented in the parliament to participate in the debates;
• upholding the principle of equality of the vote in accordance with the Constitution, OSCE commitments, other international obligations and standards and good international practice;
• addressing the shortcomings of postal voting and taking steps to ensure that all voters benefit from equal voting opportunities to the maximum extent possible.

ODIHR deployed an Election Expert Team (EET) on 17 April 2019 to observe the early parliamentary elections. The EET focused on aspects related to the conduct of the election campaign and the role of the media in the process. All 57 countries across the OSCE region have formally committed to following up promptly on ODIHR’s election assessments and recommendations.