John Ault
John Ault is the Director of Democracy Volunteers. John has worked in elections throughout the UK, Europe, and the United States since the 1980s. He has observed on behalf of the OSCE/ODIHR and the UK Parliament’s Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in parliamentary elections as wide-ranging as Kazakhstan and the Isle of Man. He is a former chair of the UK’s Electoral Reform Society and has previously been elected to local government and the UK’s South-West Regional Assembly.
September 18, 2025
Democracy Volunteers, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales
Overseas Postal Voting at Breaking Point: Millions at Risk of Losing Their Vote
The UK’s overseas postal voting system is failing — extended enfranchisement without operational capacity has created a perfect storm of lost ballots, tight timetables and systemic disenfranchisement.
September 04, 2025
Democracy Volunteers
10 Years – Observing Elections, Improving Democracy
This year, Democracy Volunteers celebrates a decade of independent election observation. Since our founding in 2015, we have grown to become Western Europe’s leading election observation organisation, working at...
May 30, 2025
Domestic Observations, England
Democracy Under Threat? The Hidden Toll on Local Election Candidates
As part of Democracy Volunteers’ election observation for the 2025 English Local Elections, held on May 1st, the team worked with students from Manchester University to assess the impact...
February 19, 2025
International Observations, United States
‘The US election was extremely well-run and staffed by dedicated election professionals’ – says Democracy Volunteers
The presidential and congressional elections of 2024 were no different were an important election for Democracy Volunteers to observe. The election was highly contentious and saw the return of...
July 22, 2024
Domestic Observations, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, UK Westminster General Election, Wales
FINAL REPORT – Westminster General Election July 2024
Democracy Volunteers observed the electoral process in 204 Westminster parliamentary constituencies across the UK. The organisation deployed two or more observers to each constituency. In total, the number of...
June 20, 2024
Domestic Observations, England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, UK Westminster By-Election, Wales
FINAL REPORT – Westminster Parliamentary By-Elections May 2023 to May 2024
Since May 2023, Democracy Volunteers has observed each of the Westminster Parliamentary By-elections across the UK. The organisation deployed between two and eight observers to each by-election. These observers...
May 23, 2024
Domestic Observations, England, Wales
FINAL REPORT – England and Wales Local, Mayoral, and PCC Elections 2024
On May 2nd, Democracy Volunteers deployed 150 observers, and support team, from the 435 Democracy Volunteers observers accredited with the UK's Electoral Commission. The organisation deployed across 85 of...
February 14, 2024
International Observations, Netherlands
FINAL REPORT – Netherlands Parliamentary Elections 2023
The elections, based on the sample of 143 polling stations we observed, were very well run by elections staff. Our observation team, in the vast majority of cases, were...