The Carter Center has developed many resources to help citizens and election observers apply an obligations-based framework to real elections around the world.
Through a variety of materials, the Carter Center’s resources provide a foundation of knowledge for citizens and election observers, while contributing to the broader goals of DES.
Templates
The reporting templates below are examples intended to facilitate election observation by providing core staff with forms to summarize major findings before, on, and after election day. The various reporting templates include:
- A Long Term Observer (LTO) Weekly Reporting Template used by long-term observers to assess the political environment of a country prior to elections.
- A Legal Gap Analysis Template for legal analysts to assess the extent to which national laws comply with a state’s international obligations.
- A Campaign Rally Report Template intended to evaluate the nature and atmosphere of any political rallies that are held.
- An Incident Report Template to record important incidents observed during the electoral process.
- A Case File Report Template for reporting any complaints, violations, and/or irregularities that occur during the observation process.
- Election Day Checklists (Ghana) used to assess opening, polling, closing, and vote counting processes.
- An Electoral Dispute Resolution Analysis Template for legal analysts to evaluate the framework for post-election adjudication of complaints and disputes.
Training Schedules for Observers
The following schedules outline the sessions and main topics included in The Carter Center’s training of short-term and long-term election observers.
