Applications to join the Election Observation Mission to the Dutch Parliamentary Elections 2021 are now closed.

Purpose

Leiden MUN collaborated with AEGEE Election Observation to invite young people (between the ages of 18 and 30) based in the Netherlands to sign up as Observers for the Election Observation Mission (EOM) to the Dutch General Election on the 17th of March 2021. The EOM ran from the 1st of February to the 21st of March and was deployed across the country. Its purpose was to specifically assess the participation of youth in the electoral process.

Successful applicants received professional training from Leiden MUN in coordination with AEGEE Election Observation before the election, where they followed the voting, counting, and tabulation procedures throughout the country on election day itself. 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 were compiled into a report which were published after deployment.

AEGEE is the leading organisation in providing a youth perspective on elections in Europe. It has organised more than 20 EOMs, and trained and deployed hundreds of Observers to specifically assess youth participation in electoral processes. AEGEE Election Observation work has been mentioned by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/European Commission in their 2017 handbook: “Youth Participation in Electoral Processes”.

What did the Observers do?

Observers all completed the OSCE/ODIHR e-learning course in their own time. These informed Observers on the principles and methods of international election observation. Observers also conducted background research on a specific topic of interest related to the participation, involvement, and engagement of youth in elections in the Netherlands. Moreover, there were two live, online sessions that guided Observers in the political context of the country as well as: international standards, election administrations, election day procedures, and other relevant topics. These took place on Wednesday 10th March in the afternoon and all day on Saturday 13th March.

Before the election days, we were glad to provide Observers with the opportunity to meet with organisations such as the Kiesraad, civil servants of ministries, and municipalities. They also had the opportunity to make use of the facilities of the Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations during the election week. On election day, Observers were paired up (with one international with one Dutch national per pair) and circuited polling stations and the Ministry of Internal Affairs on the main election day.

Here, Observers watched the activities at several locations, including visiting 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. The following day, there was be a debrief where we discussed and summarised the findings of the observations conducted with other observers and the Mission Coordinators. After the election days, Observers had the opportunity to be involved in writing up an analysis report of the findings.

How is Leiden MUN Relevant to Election Observation Missions?

The skills one gains from participating in the EOM are much akin to those acquired through MUN and are indeed applicable to each other. Targeted and specific research is essential to both pursuits and was essential to EOM participants as they were involved in researching and learning the ins and outs of Dutch elections, as well as other areas of relevant interest. Moreover, being able to openly approach complete strangers and engage in dynamic conversations is also important - whether you are opposing delegates or voters. Being able to write up concise, accurate, and detailed documents is another valuable skill to both disciplines, be it in the form of Draft Resolutions or the EOM Report. As such, we were delighted to be working on the EOM and were glad to have so many people enjoy this unique adventure with us!

COVID-19 and the EOM

The Dutch Parliamentary Election took place on the 15th, 16th, and 17th of March 2021. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, this EOM ran slightly differently from the standard procedure. Instead of international Observers being sent abroad on a Mission as is typically the case, Dutch and international Observers participated in the EOM in their country of residence (the Netherlands). Moreover, instead of Observers being sent out in the usual groups of three, they were sent out in groups of two (one Dutch Observer, to help with translation should the need have arisen, and one international Observer) in order to remain aligned with the Dutch national lockdown rules at the time of the election.

Leiden MUN and AEGEE were committed to making the experience as safe as possible to all Observers. As such, we ensured that all Observers were provided with 70% alcohol hand sanitiser bottles as well as FFP2 masks (a form of Personal Protective Equipment that helps to protect mask-wearers against contracting coronavirus). Apart from observation during election days, all other activities of the EOM were conducted virtually.

Leiden MUN and AEGEE will not take any responsibility for the contraction of COVID-19 whilst participating in the EOM.

Application Requirements - application are now closed.

*Be between 18 and 30 years of age

*Have a solid command of English

*Currently reside in the Netherlands (applications from internationals as well as Dutch nationals are accepted). You are not required to live in only Den Haag or Leiden

*Be available from the 1st of February to participate in the online training courses on election observation, and to conduct background research on the political situation of the Netherlands as youth concerns

*Be available to attend the in-person deployment for the Election Observation Mission on one of the following: the 15th, 16th, or/and 17th March 2021

*Please note you do not need previous experience in election monitoring, although it is desirable. Other skills, education or experience related to systems of democracy, elections, election observations, or the Netherlands are considered an asset.

Application Process - applications are now closed.

Applicants are requested to fill in the Google Forms with their details, including a section where we ask for a motivational justification for your application to this project.  Please note that, if you are indeed selected as an Observer, you will be expected to send us a copy of your passport by 1800 on the 1st February 2021. This is in order to obtain the accreditation from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Netherlands which is needed for the EOM to proceed.

The link to the Google Forms is as follows: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1mSFu8P-pUOqzMHd7IJJn0sgNNRI-q9ORTlVe-k5OB30/edit?ts=6007394a&gxids=7628  

The deadline is 23:59 CET on Friday 29th January 2021. 

Meet your Programme Coordinators!

Nicholas M. Kessler

Avalon M. Leiman