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 Dutch parliamentary elections of 15 March, 2017.
The mission runs from 10 to 17 March and will be deployed in Den Haag (The Hague). Its purpose is to specifically assess the participation of youth in the electoral process.
As independent Short-Term Observer at the AEGEE Election Observation Mission to the Netherlands, 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 the Netherlands 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 the Netherlands, observers will be required to:
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take an election observation training on the principles and methods of international election observation, as specified at the ODIHR online learning platform;
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conduct background research on a specific topic related to the participation, involvement and engagement of youth in the upcoming local elections in the Netherlands.
In Den Haag, between 10 and 13 March, observers will:
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take part in a briefing on the political situation of the country;
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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 14 March, observers will:
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be deployed in different locations in the Netherlands;
On 15 March (election day), observers will:
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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:
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reconvene in Den Haag to attend a debriefing, and
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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:
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be between 18 and 30 years old;
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have a solid command of English;
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hold no citizenship of the Netherlands. Please note that nationals of the Netherlands are not eligible to apply as international election observers for this mission. However, you can apply to support the mission as Local Coordinators;
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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;
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be available from mid-February on to participate in an online training course on election observation and to conduct background research on the political situation of the Netherlands as concerns youth;
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be fully available to travel to the Netherlands and attend the entire deployment from 10 to 17 March;
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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 the Netherlands, democracy systems or election observation are considered an asset.
Application procedure
Please fill in this application form. The application deadline is Wednesday, 8 February, at 23:59 CET.
For any further queries, please e-mail our coordinator Julia Krebs at julia.krebs@aegee.org
AEGEE Election Observation looks forward to your application.
*AEGEE Election Observation aims 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 bear in mind that this is a voluntary initiative and that all observers thus need to be able to cover own expenses at first place.