OSCE/ODIHR launches handbook on observing new voting technologies

A new handbook on observing the use of new technologies in elections, including electronic voting and automated counting, was launched by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) at the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting in Warsaw on 1 October 2013.

Use of new voting technologies (NVT) has significantly increased in recent years, and a discussion over their potential benefits and disadvantages is ongoing. The Handbook for the Observation of New Voting Technologies seeks to reflect these new realities.

“New voting technologies have the potential to increase voter participation and make voting and the counting of ballots more efficient, said Beata Martin-Rozumilowicz, Head of the Elections Department at ODIHR. “However, these technologies may also pose challenges to the secrecy of the vote, and to the transparency and integrity of an election process.”

“These technologies pose challenges for election observation, too, since they are often used in a manner that makes direct physical observation of some important procedures difficult. Furthermore, effective observation of NVT requires a certain level of specific technical knowledge and understanding of how they function,” she added.

The handbook outlines the key principles for observing new voting technologies in an election process. It aims to provide guidance to all election observation mission members on how they can contribute to the successful observation of the use of these technologies.

The handbook is available online as well as in print.