AEGEE Election Observation invites young people (between 18 and 30 years old) from all over Europe to sign up as Short-Term Observers for our upcoming Election Observation Mission to the Czech legislative elections on 20 and 21 October 2017.

The mission runs from 17 to 24 October and will be deployed in Prague. Its purpose is to specifically assess the participation of youth in the electoral process.

As Short-Term Observer at the AEGEE Election Observation Mission to the Czech Republic, successful applicants will receive training, complete specific research assignments and follow the voting, counting and tabulation procedures in various locations throughout the country on Election Day. They will further meet with local, national and international political stakeholders, civil society organisations and youth representatives in the Czech Republic prior to Election Day.

The observation of elections by independent observers contributes to the transparency of the process and is a valuable instrument of democratic control. The findings of the mission will be compiled into a report to be published after deployment and distributed amongst relevant authorities.

Mission Programme

Prior to arrival in the Czech Republic, observers will be required to:

• take an election observation training on the principles and methods of international election observation, as specified at the ODIHR online learning platform;

• conduct background research on a specific topic related to the participation, involvement and engagement of youth in the upcoming local elections in the Czech Republic.

In Prague, between 17 and 19 October, observers will:

• take part in a briefing on the political situation of the country;

• attend various meetings with local officials, political stakeholders, experts, scholars and civil society representatives as well as, in particular, with youth organisations and youth activists in the country;

• be instructed on the relevant election observation methodology.

On 19 October, observers will:

• be deployed to different locations in the Czech Republic;

On 20 and 21 October (Election Days), observers will:

• visit a number of polling stations to observe the opening, voting and closing processes throughout the day, as well as the counting and tabulation processes afterwards.

On the day following Election Day, observers will:

• return to Prague to attend a debriefing, and discuss and summarise the findings of observations conducted with other observers and the Mission Coordinators.

Requirements

To become an international Short Term Observer for AEGEE Election Observation, an applicant must:

• be between 18 and 30 years old;

• have a solid command of English;

• be available from mid-August to participate in an online training course on election observation and to conduct background research on the political situation of the Czech Republic and the involvement of youth;

• be fully available to travel to the Czech Republic and attend the entire mission from 17 to 24 October;

• be able to cover own costs*;

• hold no citizenship of the Czech Republic**.

Please be advised that visa invitation letters can be issued for AEGEE members only.

AEGEE membership is a criterion to be considered in case of doubt between otherwise equal applicants.

Other skills, education or experience related to the Czech Republic, democracy systems or election observation are considered an asset.

Application procedure

Please fill in this application form.

The application deadline is Sunday, 27 August, at 23:59 CET.

For any further queries, please e-mail our coordinators Charlotte Wagenaar and Julia Krebs.

AEGEE Election Observation looks forward to your application.

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*AEGEE Election Observation is a volunteering and non-profit initiative. We aim to raise funds for the project and its upcoming missions. However, at present we cannot guarantee that any funds will be available to cover expenses and/or provide any financial assistance.

**Please note that Czech nationals are not eligible to apply as international election observers for this mission. However, in specific locations we will be looking for interpreters. If you are a Czech national interested in assisting our observers on Election Day, please contact us.