Agora Election Observation invites young people (between 18 and 30 years old) from all over Europe to sign up as Observers for our upcoming Election Observation Mission to the Hungarian Parliamentary Election on the 3rd of April 2022.
The mission runs from the 30th of March to the 5th of April and will be deployed in Budapest and some other locations around the country. Its purpose is to specifically assess the participation of youth in the electoral process.
As an independent Observer at the Agora Election Observation Mission to Hungary, successful applicants will receive training, complete specific research assignments, and then follow the voting, counting and tabulation procedures in various locations throughout the country on the day of elections. They will further meet with local, national and international political stakeholders, civil society organizations and youth representatives in Hungary during the days 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 Hungary, observers will be required to:
- take an election observation training (online) on the principles and methods of international election observation;
- conduct background research on a specific topic related to the participation, involvement and engagement of youth in the upcoming elections in Hungary.
In Budapest, between the 31st of March and 1st of April, 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.
On the 2nd of April, observers will:
- be deployed in different locations in Hungary;
On the 3rd of April (election day), 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 later that evening.
On the day following election day, observers will:
- return to Budapest to attend a debriefing, and
- discuss and summarize the findings of observations conducted with other observers and the Mission Coordinators.
REQUIREMENTS
To become an international Observer for Agora Election Observation, an applicant must:
- be between 18 and 30 years old;
- have a solid command of English;
- hold no citizenship of Hungary. Please note that Hungarian nationals are not eligible to apply as international election observers for this mission. However, they can apply to support the mission as Local Coordinators;
- legally reside or hold a Schengen Visa or right to enter the Schengen Area. Please be advised that Agora Election Observation does not issue visa invitation letters;
- be available from February on to participate in an online training course on election observation and to conduct background research on the political situation of Hungary as concerns youth;
- be fully available to travel to Hungary and attend the entire deployment from 30th of March to the 5th of April 2022;
- be able to cover own costs*.
Experience from participating in election monitoring in the applicant’s home country, in a political party or in non-governmental organizations is desirable, but not required. Other skills, education or experience related to Hungary, democracy systems or election observation are considered an asset.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Please fill in this application form. The application deadline is Sunday, 30th of January at 23:59 CET.
In case of questions, please contact Andreas Martin Speiser, Mission Manager at andreasmartinspeiser@gmail.com.
Agora Election Observation looks forward to your application.
* In general, our Missions are organized on a 100% voluntary basis and do not involve any remuneration or reimbursement of travel and accommodation expenses. This applies to Mission Coordinators as well as members of the Agora Election Observation team.
* Students of the Institute of Political Science and Administration at Uniwersytet Pedagogiczny in Krakow can apply for a scholarship covering up to 50% of travel and accommodation costs occurring during the Election Observation Mission (max. amount 366 PLN per observer). Sponsored by the Uniwersytet Pedagogiczny.
