The Quick Count and Election Observation

THE QUICK COUNT AND ELECTION OBSERVATION
• press releases—one-page notices that publicize an organizational opinion
or an event of interest to viewers, readers or listeners;
• high-profile events—such as training programs, visits from international
experts, meetings with well-known personalities;
• press conferences—tied to significant dates or activities and timed well,
considering journalists’ deadlines, competing news events, etc.;
• articles and letters to the editor submitted to the print media; and
• public service announcements (PSAs)—most often produced for radio.
39
A media team promotes the quick count to build the credibility
of both the project and the organization, to obtain practical
and political support and to achieve quick count goals, such
as deterring fraud and building confidence in the electoral
process. These goals are achieved by:
1. Forging a productive relationship with the election commission—The
executive director and board members, in particular, must recognize
that election officials have the power to share key information, such
as a list of polling stations, and to grant observers permission to enter
polling stations. National election observer organizations in many
countries have worked closely with electoral authorities to improve
observer access and transparency.
2. Building support from key audiences through an “external relations”
program—The media team, particularly members of the board, should
keep media, potential and current donors, civic leaders and political
parties informed about the quick count project. Each of these
audiences has potential to be supportive, either by sharing information
or providing direct financial, human or in-kind resources.
3. Launching a media campaign to establish an organization’s credibility—The
media campaign must convince the public that the
organization has the capacity to conduct a quick count and the commitment
to a fair process over a particular result.