Election Observers

04/10/2026

Bosnia votes in one of world’s most complicated general elections

30/09/2026

How do civil society organizations (CSOs) turn a campaign finance monitoring project from a blank page into a practical monitoring initiative? 🕵️‍♂️

Operationalizing a monitoring initiative is a complex, multi-stage task. Based on actual methodologies developed by watchdogs across , , , the , and , our joint publication with International IDEA lays out a clear, 9-Step Implementation Process for CSOs.

Rather than starting over, this framework brings existing efforts together. The roadmap builds on the valuable insights and experiences shared by organizations and experts across the region.

Dive into the full guide and download the report today!

27/09/2026

Who funds politics matters. So does who is watching. 🔎

That’s why UNODC - United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, International IDEA and IFES are joining forces on a new global initiative to strengthen transparency and integrity in political finance.

With support from the Government of Norway, Norad - Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the partnership will support countries as they use UNCAC Resolution 11/7 to advance practical reforms.

Together we will work to strengthen legal frameworks, oversight capacity and cooperation among the institutions working to prevent, detect and investigate political finance violations.

Because stronger political finance systems start with transparency, effective oversight and cooperation.

And there is room to grow. We welcome and invite other donors to join this partnership and help expand its reach and impact.

18/09/2026

The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), together with International IDEA, will be launching a new report: "Citizen Monitoring of Political and Campaign Finance in Asia: A Framework for Action," at the Political Finance Transparency & Oversight International Roundtable in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

ANFREL Executive Director, Brizza Rosales, will co-present this framework alongside Adhy Aman of International IDEA. Don't miss this important session on 23 September 2026, from 15:35–17:15 (Ulaanbaatar time).

Convened by the General Election Commission of Mongolia from 22–24 September 2026, the roundtable follows up on UNCAC Resolution 11/7 on enhancing political finance transparency and accountability.

The event brings together oversight institutions, electoral management bodies, anti-corruption and audit authorities, parliamentarians, civil society, researchers, and international partners for a practical exchange on how political finance transparency is enforced in practice and how its impact can be measured.

If you are participating in the roundtable in Ulaanbaatar, we invite you to join our session and the official launch of the framework for action.

Engage in this crucial conversation on the future of campaign finance oversight. Register here to join: https://m-election.mn/en/news/17274137732091?id=1787109610581520

13/09/2026

07/09/2026

📢 Save the Date: Recognised, Protected, Effective: Facilitating Election Observation as a Safeguard of Electoral Integrity

Election observation is widely recognised as a safeguard for electoral integrity, yet in many countries observer rights, accreditation procedures and access to electoral processes are only partially regulated or remain entirely absent. To address this issue, Election-Watch.EU has developed the Model Framework for Election Observer Accreditation Procedures, designed to facilitate independent, non-partisan election observation by national civil society organisations and international entities.

Join us for the official launch of the Framework:
📅 Tuesday, 22 September 2026
🕒 15:00 CEST
💻 Online (Zoom)

The webinar will discuss what are the most common barriers that citizen observers face in accessing electoral processes, which administrative or legislative provisions have proven most effective in addressing them, and what role can EU and national institutions play in strengthening observation recognition frameworks.

Stay tuned for the full agenda and speaker lineup 👀

🔗 Register for the webinar: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_O2_RHRN2SHOTxvV7cNyH7g #/registration
📖 Read more about the event: https://www.wahlbeobachtung.org/en/webinar-recognised-protected-effective-facilitating-election-observation-as-a-safeguard-of-electoral-integrity/

02/09/2026

What are the biggest threats to political finance integrity in Asia, and what can be done about them?

Join the launch of Transparency International’s new regional assessment of political finance integrity across 17 countries, including Maldives!

The webinar, co-organised with ANFREL - Asian Network for Free Elections, will bring together policymakers, election officials, civil society, journalists, academics and development partners to discuss:
- Money-in-politics risks.
- Political finance reforms.
- Digital campaigning and oversight.
- Regional cooperation for electoral integrity.

Interested? Register here: 28d6ca0b-e5f6-46a7-a649-a3a4fd6fd721@ecf96a77-8a74-4fed-a1c2-0337d92d305f" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/28d6ca0b-e5f6-46a7-a649-a3a4fd6fd721@ecf96a77-8a74-4fed-a1c2-0337d92d305f

21/08/2026

Democracy is not only shaped by a ballot paper, it is also shaped by money and technology. 💰💻

When misused, elections become less about voters' choices and more about who can afford to influence them.

📍 Accra will be the meeting point from 23–24 September for African election observers, civil society leaders, and democracy experts to identify practical solutions to these challenges and safeguard electoral integrity.

Explore the program and join us 🗓️ https://ahead.africa/en/event/electoral-integrity-summit-3/

09/08/2026

The Russian Federation did not invite OSCE observers for the 2026 parliamentary elections...

"Over recent weeks, ODIHR sought to engage the Russian authorities through its standard pre-election dialogue, including with a view to agreeing on the deployment of a Needs Assessment Mission in accordance with its established methodology. These efforts did not receive a substantive response from the Russian authorities. The Russian Federation also did not invite OSCE observers for the 2024 presidential election. In addition, the restrictive conditions imposed in 2021 prevented OSCE from deploying an observation mission for the State Duma elections. As a result, this will be the third consecutive nationwide electoral process in the Russian Federation that OSCE has been unable to observe."

https://odihr.osce.org/odihr/667020

16/06/2026

🆕 📢 Webinar on Election Observation in Asia: ANFREL’s Work, Recent Missions, and Emerging Challenges

🗣️ Keynote speaker: Brizza Rosales

🗓️ Date: 17 June 2026

⌚ Time: 12:00-13:30 (Brussels time)

🔗 Registration link: https://eods.webex.com/weblink/register/r4130e8b30564fbdc3c7af2d89c189ee0

ℹ️ Brizza Rosales is the Executive Director of the ANFREL - Asian Network for Free Elections, a regional network dedicated to promoting electoral integrity, democratic participation, and citizen engagement across Asia. Brizza has 13 years of experience in election observation, electoral reform advocacy, and democracy support initiatives, having led and participated in election observation missions, policy dialogues, and regional engagements across multiple countries in Asia.

📌 Discussion focus: The session will introduce ANFREL and provide an overview of how the organization conducts its work across election observation, advocacy, capacity-building, and regional engagement. It will also share experiences and lessons from ANFREL’s recent election observation missions and initiatives in the region, including how observation methodologies continue to evolve in response to changing electoral contexts.