Elections Elections Given their fundamental importance to the development and maintenance of democratic institutions, elections continued to be a major focus of ODIHR’s work in 2010. The year saw the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the OSCE Copenhagen Document, which set out clearly the commitments undertaken by the 56 participating States to conduct democratic elections. ODIHR is explicitly mandated to assist them in meeting this obligation, and the observation or assessment of elections forms a key element of this work across the OSCE region, as does crucial follow-up with individual states to help promote the implementation of recommendations contained in ODIHR observation mission reports. ODIHR continues to work actively in a number of other election-related areas as well, such as carrying out reviews of electoral legislation, publishing guidelines and handbooks on a variety of election-related issues, and providing training for election observers. A comprehensive observation methodology comprising a long-term approach lies at the core of ODIHR’s election work. This methodology continued to be honed in 2010 with the launch of the updated, 6th edition of the Election Observation Handbook. The fundamental tenet of the methodology is that a comprehensive, in-depth assessment of an election process must examine not only election day, but also the circumstances that precede and follow it. Systematic scrutiny is, therefore, applied to crucial elements of the election process, such as the legal framework, the work of the election administration, the conduct of the election campaign, contestants’ access to the media, election-day procedures, and the adjudication of election-related complaints. A broad geographical range is covered by ODIHR’s election observation activities: To date, election observation activity has been conducted in some format in 52 of the 56 participating States. Encouraging and supporting the implementation of recommendations by participating States remains one of the primary challenges in ODIHR’s work, particularly where electoral processes are not yet in line with OSCE commitments. As a result, follow-up remained a key feature of the Office’s activities in 2010, with increasingly close co-ordination among activities specifically related to elections and those aimed at supporting broader democratization objectives. 8 ODIHR Annual Report 2010 Main Issues Promoting Democratic Standards The commitments contained in the OSCE Copenhagen Document remained as relevant in 2010 as at their adoption. The tenets it espoused in 1990 formed the principal yardstick by which election processes are evaluated by ODIHR. Twenty years on, the progress in the implementation of election-related commitments is undeniable, but challenges remain. A number of participating States continue to conduct elections not in conformity with the standards in the Copenhagen commitments. While the content of laws may have improved, their implementation remains incomplete. The Copenhagen Document stated clearly that rule of law cannot mean mere formal legality, and a key element of ODIHR’s work comprises assessing the actual implementation of electionrelated laws. Significant shortcomings continue to be noted and reported in a number of OSCE participating States. These include, but are not limited to: restrictions of fundamental rights and freedoms; unwarranted constraints on candidates and campaigning; structural media bias; systems of voter registration that do not accurately reflect the voting population; limitations to effective election observation, by both domestic and international observers; the misuse of state resources to the advantage of particular contestants; a lack of separation between state structures and certain political parties; the pressuring and intimidation of voters; a lack of effective legal avenues of redress; and, often, blatant fraud during the voting, counting and tabulation of votes. Recommendations and Their Implementation Following on from its election observation activities, ODIHR has increasingly worked closely with participating States to assist them in implementing election-related recommendations. The concrete recommendations included in final reports on observation activities that are published and shared with all participating States flag critical problems and issues during