"Free and fair local and regional elections in major crisis situations are a challenge that each country takes up in its own way, but for which it is important to exchange and share information" said Stewart Dickson (United Kingdom, ILDG), Congress Thematic Spokesperson on the observation of local and regional elections at the 17th European Conference of Local and Regional Election Management Bodies held online on 12 and 13 November 2020. During the session on "Holding elections in emergency situations - Challenges and solutions for EMBs during the pandemic", Mr Dickson presented the report on "Local and regional elections in major crises", adopted by the Congress Monitoring Committee.
"In times of COVID-19 crisis, elections at different levels of government were sometimes postponed, as it was the case in England, and sometimes maintained, in Serbia and Ukraine for example", explained the rapporteur. "The holding of elections in such circumstances has direct implications for campaigning, voter registration, voting procedures, the practical organisation of polling day, but also for the security of individuals," he added. Local and regional authorities, which are on the front line in dealing with the consequences of the crisis, also have a duty, together with States, to protect the life, health and security of the population," Mr Dickson stressed, explaining that there is an undeniable tension between the holding of elections and the protection of individuals.
"The strengthening of protection measures reduces risks but does not eliminate them. Also, alternative solutions such as postal voting require a reliable postal service and public confidence in the security of the ballot," the spokesman said, stressing that while not all electoral standards can be met, a minimum set of principles must be respected in all circumstances. These principles include universal, equal, free and secret suffrage.
As the Congress’ regular election observation activity in its usual format is undermined in times of crisis, the report identifies several alternative strategies to continue assessing elections such as the organisation of distance meetings with stakeholders and co-operation with national NGOs and international partners.
"In this context, the Congress observed and noted that lack of funding is often a major problem for the election administration. Therefore, any large-scale measure needs to be carefully planned and provided with sufficient funding," stressed the rapporteur. These difficulties, which will be mentioned in information reports, encourage us to adapt and to continue co-operation and sharing," he concluded.
The report draws on the different approaches taken by States in Europe and beyond, both recently and in past crises, and provides a comprehensive compilation of guidelines with regards to international electoral standards.
