CIVIL NETWORK OPORA (Ukraine)

Practices of election observation campaigns 2010 in Ukraine

 

Strasbourg, 19 May 2011

Election mathematicsPresidential Elections in Ukraine

17 January and 7 February, 2010

• Central Election Commission• District election commissions and the total number of

election districts – 225• Election districts abroad - 1• The number of polling stations established for voting at the

Presidential elections – 33667• The number of voters in February, 2010 – 36576763

(CEC official data)

Election mathematicsLocal Elections (31 October, 2010):

Central Election Commission 12111 territorial election commissions that organize and determine voting results for a certain election level:•Rayons/village districts– 488•City rayons – 80•City level – 457 (з них 176 міст обласного значення)•Town level – 783•Village level – 10278•Supreme Council of the Crimea Autonomic Republic – 1•Oblast level – 24•The total number of polling stations at local elections – 29931

The task of OPORA public observation and principles of work

Observation aim: to prevent violations by means of public observation and quick information dissemination; to provide objective evaluation of election conduct and voting results, and to check their compliance with the Law of Ukraine and international standards.

Principles of work: •Transparency – transparency of the aim of observation campaign, its methods, results, financial sources, communication;•Political independence;•Constructive approach – not to shatter people’s trust to the election process as well as not to keep silent about violations and other problems;•Responsibility – work discipline, only verified data used.

Long-term observation • starts with the beginning of the election process and lasts till the official results

announcement; covers and analyzes all the stages of election campaign;• is aimed at systematic monitoring and helps analyze the cause-and-effect relation

of the election results and the whole campaign:• election legislation, its compliance with the international standards;• the procedure of how election commissions are formed, the guarantee of equal

rights to all the subjects of election process.• the use of administrative resource;• the guarantee of candidates’ equal access to mass-media, voters and the right on

free campaigning;• the guarantee of active and passive (to support a not complicated procedure of

candidate’s registration and to prevent candidate’s dismiss by his/her opponents via registration cancellation) right during the election campaign..

LTO products: periodical analytical reports, infographic materials, articles, news, public events.

Number of LTOs and their coverage: 177 LTOs – local elections 2010 (1 observer per 4 rayons); 75 LTOs – Presidential elections 2010 (1 observer per 4 districts).

LTO products

Short-term observation• Observation on the Election Day, starts with a preparatory meeting at the polling

station;• Covers all the procedural stages of voting and vote count at the polling station;• Determines and partially prevents election fraud: • bribery near polling stationsпідкуп виборців поблизу дільниці;• voter’s intimidation;• conduct of illegal campaigning and influence on citizen’s will;• misrepresentation of vote results by changing data recorded in minutes etc.

Observation format: constant presence at polling stations, mobile groups that react on messages about

violations.Products: quick short public reports, articles, news, video- and photo proves of violations, coded

interim sms-reports sent by observers to the central call-center (see the hand-outs)Number of STOs and their coverage: 1003 observers at polling stations chosen by statistical sample for each of the rounds at

Presidential elections (altogether - 2006) and local elections (425 – district election commissions of different level, 1003 PECs).

Quick count method as a tool for public oversight

• polling stations where data is collected are chosen by statistical sample;

• observers work with actual initial data about vote count instead of interviewing voters;

• observers collect representative information about turnout and violations.

Advantages of the method: quick collection of actual data, control over possible

changes during the vote count caused by falsifications in minutes, unique and quality coverage of polling stations, the method enjoys people’s trust and a small error.

Election results