Editing Election monitoring (section)

==International election monitoring==
[[File:Foreign Observer identification badge in the 1989 Namibian election.jpg|thumb|International Election Observer identification badge issued during the [[1989 Namibian parliamentary election|1989 Namibian election]]]]
Standard international election observation missions, as deployed by, for the example, the [[European Commission]] or the OSCE [[Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights]] (ODIHR), monitor the entire electoral process. Election experts and long-term observers begin their work weeks before the actual election day, looking at candidate registration, the legal framework, the media situation, the work of the election administration, and the campaign environment. On election day, short-term observers monitor the opening of polling stations, the vote cast, and the counting and tabulation of results. After election day, observers remain in the country for another few weeks to monitor how possible election-related shortcomings and complaints are dealt with by the election administration and the judiciary. The findings of the observers are made public in reports issued after election day.

===Long-term observers===
Most observation missions send a small number of long-term monitors (known as LTOs) for a period of six to eight weeks. A larger number of short-term observers (known as STOs) then join the mission for the final week of the campaign. STOs provide mostly quantitative observation of polling station and count procedures, with LTOs supplying qualitative analysis and contextual information about the wider political situation.{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}}

In some cases, the objectivity of some international observers is questioned.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/story/0,,1844618,00.html 'People power' is a global brand owned by America]. By Mark Almond. August 15, 2006. ''[[The Guardian]].''</ref>