conventional voting, all forms of alternative voting must be open to unobtrusive observation that respects the secrecy of the vote. Discrimination, ignorance, poverty, and neglect all contribute to political and electoral disenfranchisement of persons with disabilities. The commitment enshrined in Paragraph 7.3 of the Copenhagen Document must also apply to them. Participating States are committed to enabling access of disabled voters to the voting process by taking appropriate measures. Some of the best practices to address this problem include assistance to disabled voters to access the polling station and cast their ballots in a dignified manner that preserves the secrecy of the ballot and prevents undue influence on the voter, and the application of special voting methods. In addition, the authorities responsible for civic education and voter information should account for the special needs in designing and carrying out these programmes. 36. Secrecy of the ballot Universal and equal suffrage requires, as reflected by Paragraph 7.4 of the Copenhagen Document, that OSCE States “ensure that votes are cast by secret ballot or by equivalent free voting procedure”. Family voting, group voting, and proxy voting are not uncommon practices in some participating States. Secrecy of the ballot is compromised by such practices, and they open the possibility for one person to assert his/her will multiple times over others. Participating States should ensure that each individual voter can cast his/her vote independently and by secret ballot. In the case that assistance is required for a voter to cast his/her ballot, regulations should provide a procedure for this assistance. Best practices include allowing the voter to choose another voter to support him/her in casting the ballot. In addition, public information campaigns can be useful in raising awareness among voters about the principle of secrecy of the ballot and infringement of this principle by certain voting practices. Postal voting and the introduction of remote voting technologies may also challenge the secrecy of the ballot, and measures to enhance participation should be carefully weighed against fundamental democratic principles. 37. Access for international and domestic election observers Transparency of election processes is fundamental to democratic elections. It provides a critical basis for establishing public confidence, including confidence of electoral competitors. Domestic observer organizations, both partisan and non-partisan, and international observers invited specifically by the host country should be permitted unimpeded access to all election proceedings and to all levels of election administration. They should receive credentials for this purpose sufficiently in advance of elections in order to enable them, in particular non-partisan ones, to organize their acThe rights of domestic observers are at times igtivities effectively. 1 An election is a process that includes numerous activities before, on, and after Election Day. Effective election observation cannot be limited to observing only polling-day procedures. States should ensure that all observers have the right to inspect documents, the production and distribution of election materials, attend meet- Common Responsibility: Commitments and Implementation nored, limited, obstructed, or abused in order to prevent the documentation of possible fraudulent election activities. Such practices are contrary to OSCE commitments and damage public confidence in elections. The opportunity to observe must also be available to representatives of the media, political party and candidate agents, as well as to international and domestic observers. 13