A WEB

The Secretariat of the Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) observed the European Parliament elections and Romanian local elections held on Sunday, June 9, 2024, as part of an international election observation mission. This mission was conducted alongside the European Parliament elections, held simultaneously across the 27 EU member states. The observation groups visited polling stations in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, to observe the election process directly.

The international election observation program, organized by the Permanent Electoral Authority (PEA) of Romania, one of the member organizations of A-WEB, officially started with a briefing session on the elections. During the session, Torie Greblă, President of the PEA Romania, emphasized the significance of this election, stating that this election, conducted simultaneously across the 27 EU member states, is crucial as it will determine the policy direction of Europe for the next five years.

The election observation mission included representatives from election management bodies (EMBs) of around 15 countries, as well as delegations from international organizations such as A-WEB, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), and the Réseau des compétences électorales francophones (RECEF). In Romania, voting took place from 7 AM to 10 PM. The mission groups observed the entire voting procedure, including the provision of information about the location of polling stations by sectors at the entrance of polling places and the identification of voters through the automated reading of ID cards. Ms. Rita Taeyrung Lee, Deputy Director of the A-WEB Secretariat, who attended this program on behalf of the Secretariat, remarked that she was impressed by the meticulous protection of voters' personal information and the strict adherence to the principle of secret voting. Ms. Lee also mentioned that it was unique to see polling stations set up in traditional buildings used as Romanian civil registry offices.

 The observation activities in Romania served as a reminder of the importance of the European Parliament and the significance of conducting transparent elections. In addition to visiting polling stations, the observation team closely examined Romania's election management system and procedures, confirming the fairness of the election and the transparency of its administration.

A-WEB will continue to contribute to enhancing global democracy and election transparency through such international election observation activities. A-WEB aims to spread a culture of fair and transparent elections through cooperation and exchange among election management bodies worldwide, and the observation mission in Romania was part of this effort.

 ​