AEGEE 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 Slovak Parliamentary Election (Voľby do Národnej rady Slovenskej republiky) on the 29th of February 2020.
The mission runs from the 25th of February to the 2nd of March and will be deployed in Bratislava 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 AEGEE Election Observation Mission to Slovakia, 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 organisations and youth representatives in Slovakia 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 Slovakia, 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 Slovakia.
In Bratislava, between the 26th and 27th of February, 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 28th of February, observers will:
- be deployed in different locations in Slovakia;
On the 29th of February (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 Bratislava 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 Observer for AEGEE Election Observation, an applicant must:
- be between 18 and 30 years old;
- have a solid command of English;
- hold no citizenship of Slovakia. Please note that Slovak 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 in a European country (geographically speaking, including Russia, Turkey, Caucasus). Please be advised that visa invitation letters can be issued for AEGEE members only;
- be available from January on to participate in an online training course on election observation and to conduct background research on the political situation of Slovakia as concerns youth;
- be fully available to travel to Slovakia and attend the entire deployment from 25th of February to the 2nd of March 2020;
- 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 organisations is desirable, but not required. AEGEE membership is a secondary criterion to be considered in case of doubt between otherwise equal applicants. Other skills, education or experience related to Slovakia, democracy systems or election observation are considered an asset.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
Please fill in this application form. The application deadline is Friday, 27th of December, at 23:59 CET.
In case of questions, please contact Andreas Martin Speiser, Mission Director, at andreasmartinspeiser@gmail.com.
AEGEE Election Observation looks forward to your application.
* In general, our Missions are organised 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 AEGEE Election Observation team.
* Students of the 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.
