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 home and abroad to improve the quality of elections and to strengthen public confidence in the democratic process.
Over the past ten years, our observers have been on the ground in polling stations, election counts, and campaigns — offering impartial assessments, raising awareness of risks to electoral integrity, and supporting reforms that protect the secrecy and freedom of the vote.
Our work is far from over. Democracy depends on vigilance, transparency, and trust — and we remain committed to strengthening those foundations. As we move into our second decade, we will continue to train and deploy observers, share impartial evidence, and advocate for the highest standards in democratic practice.
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 observers, experts and support staff was over 200 at this election.
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 on local election candidates because of the threats they receive.
Our team wrote to over 2,000 candidates, across parties, to see...
Democracy Volunteers has been observing elections in the UK for 10 years. We have seen ‘family voting’ across the UK and we think it is important to explain more about it and how it should be possible to limit or prevent it.
‘Family voting’, as it is generally called internationally,...
Democracy Volunteers celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2025, marking a decade of independent election observation. Since our founding in 2015, the organisation has monitored more than 200,000 voters across 13,000 polling stations and influenced reforms such as the Ballot Secrecy Act 2023.
Democracy Volunteers deployed observers across the Netherlands for the parliamentary elections in October. Deploying 32 observers and experts, 25 of whom were based in the European Netherlands and the other 7 on the BES islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba.
A team of 12 international election observers attended over 175 polling stations across Ireland in the May 25th referendum. The team was made up of observers from the UK,...
The mission deployed a series of observers to attend several aspects of the electoral process in Tower Hamlets. Before polling day a team of 2 attended the Council’s briefing...
All observers were trained and briefed on the process of observation in the days before polling day. The briefing for the Northern Councils was held in Manchester on Saturday...
Observers attended polling stations in teams of two. This started with the opening of polls at 7am and ended at 10pm. Observations lasted no less than 30 minutes and...
The mission deployed 4 observers in two teams of two. These were registered with The Netherlands’s Ministry of The Interior and Kingdom Relations. These four observers were accredited to...
The mission deployed 6 observers in three teams of two. These were registered with Finland’s Ministry of Justice, and accredited to observe across Finland. They made 41 separate observations...
Three teams made up of 6 observers made up in teams of two (with a local translator), who were registered with Norway’s Directorate of Elections, and accredited by the...
Twenty teams made up of 73 observers made up in teams of 2, 3 or 4, who were registered with the UK’s Electoral Commission, made 642 separate observations in...
The Dutch parliamentary elections this week were of particular interest to the international media to assess whether the apparent rise of populism in the West might be continued with the success...
A team of 5 observers, registered with the UK’s Electoral Commission, made 74 separate observations in polling stations across the North Down, Strangford and Belfast East constituencies. This constituted 34.7% of the...
This report covers the observation by a team of 28 observers, registered with the UK’s Electoral Commission. The observation made 239 separate observations in 223 different polling stations across...