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ISFED is ready for the Election Day

On October 16, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) conducted a simulation of the Election Day with the aim of ensuring high-quality monitoring of the local self-government elections. 

Today’s simulation is part of ISFED’s pre-election preparations, aiming at testing observers, operators of the central office, the database and the network of connections. During the simulation observers report to the data analysis center in Tbilisi using SMS messages and provide encrypted information to the operators according to different scenarios of the Election Day. The data analysis software checks whether the information provided by an observer to the data analysis center is accurate and complete. Participation in the simulation is a mandatory requirement for every observer of ISFED in order to join the Election Day monitoring mission. 

On the Election Day of October 21, nearly 1200 short-term observers (STOs) of ISFED will monitor the course of the elections using the Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) methodology. These STOs will include 350 observers positioned across Tbilisi in polling stations identified by random sampling, and more than 300 observers positioned across the country in polling stations also identified by random sampling. In addition, ISFED observers will be present in all polling stations of Kutaisi, Batumi, Poti, Rustavi, Marneuli and Akhaltsikhe. 

For many years ISFED has monitored elections using the Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) methodology. It is a leading innovative methodology for monitoring elections that allows evaluation of the Election Day process. 

ISFED conducts the Election Day monitoring mission for the local self-government elections with support from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany, and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). 

Today’s simulation was attended by representatives of diplomatic corps and international organizations at the office of ISFED. After the successful simulation ISFED is confident that its monitoring mission is ready for the Election Day.