Election Monitoring - Frequently Asked Questions
Is BEWC the only organisation recruiting UK observers?
No. Other agencies also recruit UK observers. The contracts are awarded on a mission-by-mission basis. If BEWC previously recruited monitors for a particular country and mission it does not necessarily mean that BEWC will recruit monitors for missions in that country on every future occasion.
An election has been announced in the media, but I can't see any details for it on the 'Current Missions' page. How can I apply?
Election Observation Missions are not always sent to every election, and their size varies greatly. If no details are seen for a particular election on this site, please first check that BEWC is the contracting agency for this election. If no details are available anywhere, the contract for recruiting observers for the election might not yet have been awarded. All current information on future BEWC-contracted recruitments is always available on this site.
Can I make an advance / early application for an Election Observation Mission (EOM)?
There is probably little point applying for a mission that does not appear on the 'Current Missions' page.
Although we do accept pre-invitation applications for missions listed but for which we have not yet invited applications, these do not advantage the applicant and are generaly not responded to.
There is also a slight risk - we are all human! - that when we do open for applications, speculative applications may have been filed elsewhere.
In short, it is usually best to await invitation.
When will you begin recruitment for upcoming EOMs?
The timetables for election observations, as for elections, vary tremendously, and we cannot predict when individual recruitment processes will begin. Please keep checking this website regularly.
Am I eligible to apply as LTO/STO? / Is it worth my applying for an EOM?
The only eligibility requirements are British Citizenship and a valid passport. There are no minimum requirements for application. Preference is given to candidates who meet the guideline requirements. The more of these you can satisfy, the more likely you are to be offered a place, but partially meeting, or not meeting certain requirements does not disqualify a candidate. If you are in doubt, we encourage you to apply when an election observation mission is advertised.
Do you have any more detail on current or future EOMs?
All the information we have is on this website. The best source of additional information for all EOMs is OSCE/ODIHR.