Matthew Becker<\/strong>, research associate for outcomes assessment and learning advancement at the School of Pharmacy<\/strong>, was selected as an international election observer, where he served as a member of the U.S. Delegation to the\u00a0Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0during Serbia\u2019s local elections in June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He joined a team of 126 observers from 28 OSCE participating States as part of the organization\u2019s\u00a0Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights<\/strong><\/a>\u2019\u00a0Election Observation Mission to Serbia. Observers played a crucial part in ensuring the integrity of election processes, and their findings ultimately contributed to a\u00a0report offering recommendations to ensure fair and effective democratic elections<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe whole point of an observer is exactly what it sounds like\u2014you observe,\u201d Becker said. \u201cYou do not touch anything; you do not provide instructions; you cannot interfere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After arriving in Belgrade<\/strong>, the capital, Becker was assigned to the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina<\/strong>, located in the northern part of the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI then went further out into the countryside area, and that was awesome; I loved it,\u201d he said. \u201cBeing in the capital is great, but I like going to rural areas. I was able to visit the point where the borders of Serbia, Romania and Hungary meet, which is very remote.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n During his eight-day mission, Becker and a teammate visited 10 polling stations, observing the entire electoral process from setup to vote counting and tabulation at a randomly selected local election commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have to show up 30 minutes prior to a poll opening,\u201d Becker said. \u201cWe have to see them setting up and we have to confirm that the ballot box is empty, among other protocols. At the last polling station, we observe voting and closure followed by the counting of votes. We then go to a local election commission for overall tabulation from all polling stations.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Overall, the mission observed 512 total polling stations on Election Day. Despite the workload, Becker said he found the experience rewarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The OSCE’s preliminary report on the Serbian elections noted both strengths and areas for improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhile these elections were well run, we nonetheless witnessed a dominance of the ruling party and misuse of public resources,\u201d said Ambassador Lamberto Zannier, head of the ODIHR Election Observation Mission in an official press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Becker, who speaks Serbian, took part in a rigorous selection process for this role that involved several months of training and vetting. With a variety of previous international experiences<\/a>, he said his background in Western Balkan regional politics and security dynamics, language skills and domestic election administration likely contributed to his selection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Becker’s participation in this mission not only contributed to international democratic processes, but also enhanced his professional development, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Polling-Station.jpg?resize=640%2C853\")
<\/a>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/TheLocalVoiceLigature-25web.jpg?resize=25%2C16\")
<\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"