8    ELECTIONS ELECTIONS In recognizing the importance of democratic elections, OSCE participating States have mandated ODIHR to assist them in the implementation of election-related commitments through the conduct of election observation and the follow-up of electoral recommendations. The Office’s comprehensive election observation methodology is grounded in independence, impartiality and professionalism, and seeks to provide needsfocused and long-term analysis of electoral processes. In 2016, ODIHR observed 15 elections across the OSCE region. On the basis of its longterm, comprehensive, consistent and systematic methodology, these missions were guided by two principal objectives: first, to assess whether OSCE participating States are meeting OSCE commitments, international obligations and other standards for democratic elections; and second, to offer concrete recommendations to support participating States improving their electoral processes. In the last year, the Office assisted numerous participating States in their efforts to follow up on recommendations by ODIHR election observation missions, by reviewing election-related legislation and providing technical expertise. These activities were supported by the newly published ODIHR Handbook on the Followup of Electoral Recommendations.