“The work of DV is needed more than ever. Trust in Democratic processes worldwide is under threat. A key component to building trust in elections is to have impartial oversight. DV offers independent scrutiny to help ensure elections maintain the highest democratic standards. This includes the importance of all citizens across the political spectrum – women, men, LGBTIQ, diverse races, ethnicities and geography, secular or diverse faiths – feeling they can trust their electoral processes.”
“Friends in Africa have long complained that Europeans always want to observe and criticise their elections, but never do the same for their own. Now I can tell them that this isn’t true, and proudly point to Democracy Volunteers. I have observed for them in Britain alongside Dutch, Russian and Nigerian partners – truly international observation.”
“Democracy Volunteers are on the front line in the defence of democracy: their impartial and independent observers have been travelling round the world for ten years, monitoring election days to check they are free and fair. If they didn’t exist they would have to be invented.”
“As one of the oldest democracies in the world, Britain can be proud of its democratic traditions. But even Britain benefits from independent observation: DV has been at the forefront in suggesting changes to British electoral procedures to ensure the continued integrity of the vote in the face of societal and technological change. DV acts as an exemplary organisation for independent groups that observe elections in countries where democracy is far more fragile.”
“Independent non-partisan electoral observation is a vital tool to ensure transparency and integrity in elections. Democracy Volunteers have been at the forefront of organising and delivering timely observations both in Britain and abroad for a decade now, helping open up and demystify electoral processes for citizens and policymakers alike.”
“I am delighted to be supporting the work of Democracy Volunteers, they are a dedicated team working hard to protect the fundamental building block of any democratic society – free and fair elections.”
“As Chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life I got to know the work of Democracy Volunteers. They do practical, ground level work to improve democracy and accountability and provide well informed advice to help ensure that democratic systems can be robust and effective. In today’s climate this is vital and timely.”
“Official portrait of Lord Evans of Weardale crop 2” by Roger Harris is licensed under CC BY 3.0.
“Democracy Volunteers has worked across the UK to identify challenges to the voting process. Their assessment of family voting, where one person tries to affect the vote of another, was the essential basis for my Private Member’s Bill which ultimately became the Ballot Secrecy Act in 2023. I am very grateful to DV since without their detailed evidence my efforts to change the law would have got nowhere.”
“Independent international election observation is an important tool in supporting democratic elections. The observation reports of Democracy Volunteers in many Finnish elections have given invaluable remarks on the ground in different areas of Finland, and interesting insights on how to develop voting procedures.”
“My hon. Friend [Sir Paul Beresford MP] spoke about the fantastic work done by Democracy Volunteers. As MPs, we see how, in all sorts of ways, our communities and civic life are improved by volunteers, and voting is no different. I have learned today that voting is another area in which volunteers play an important role.”
“Official portrait of Dr Kieran Mullan MP crop 2” by Richard Townshend is licensed under CC BY 3.0.
“Democracy Volunteers draw together from across the world the best in the electoral administration profession to share their knowledge and expertise with countries seeking to authenticate and improve their democratic processes. I have seen this at first hand and can confirm they are an asset to democracy.”
“I put on record my thanks to Democracy Volunteers, whose work my hon. Friend [Paul Bristow MP] outlined. It did a significant amount of work in the recent elections, and highlighted concerns that gave rise to the legislation and the proposals before us.”
“Official portrait of Lee Rowley MP crop 2” by David Woolfall is licensed under CC BY 3.0.
“Democracy Volunteers’ valuable work in the field of election observation helps to demystify electoral processes, bringing democracy closer to citizens from all backgrounds through training and field experience. Led by a highly knowledgable team of practitioners, Democracy Volunteers offers unique hands on opportunities to observe democracy in action. I have thoroughly enjoyed my engagement with Democracy Volunteers over the past few years and look forward to the next 10 years.”
“Julie Ward MEP” by JackListerEU is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I have witnessed first-hand the commitment of their dedicated staff and well-trained observers to professional, impartial and independent election observation that upholds the highest national and international standards. Their decade of work has meaningfully contributed to public confidence in electoral integrity both domestically and overseas, and has clearly strengthened democratic accountability in the UK and abroad. I am proud and grateful to have had the chance to embark on this journey with them, and I am looking forward to more to come.”
