If you have recently been contacted by CANADEM to participate in an upcoming mission, please click here for an overview of generic mission information and deployment logistics.
The following are some of our most Frequently Asked Questions concerning overseas elections work:
What is the process by which Canadian election observers are deployed to international election observation missions?
What types of international election observation positions are available?What kind of skills and experience do I need to be an international election observer?I have only Canadian electoral experience. Can I still be considered?I have no electoral experience (domestic or international). What can I do to become an expert in this field?How do I get on the Elections Roster?I am already registered with CANADEM. What else should I do to be considered for election observation positions?How will I find out about openings in the field of elections?How are individuals selected for electoral missions? Does CANADEM decide?
What is the process by which Canadian election observers are deployed to international election observation missions?
The decision to have Canada participate in an election comes from a common decision taken within the ranks of the Governance Directorate for the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the geographic desks at CIDA, and the Ministers’ offices both at CIDA and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT).
Once the Government of Canada has determined to participate in election observation in a partner country; the Governance Directorate from CIDA notifies CANADEM.
The CANADEM roster then proceeds to search for Canadian observers. Canadian Election Observers are selected based on individual merit, taking into account international and national electoral observation experience/expertise, related election experience/expertise, recent country experience/expertise, and linguistic ability.
Once the candidates have been selected and vetted by the Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) Core Team, CANDEP proceeds with the deployment logistics.
Since all candidates must be approved by the EOM Core Team, there is no guarantee that any of the candidates put forth by CANADEM will be selected. As such, we tell all candidates to not make any plans for a trip, take leave from their employment, or spend any money preparing for a mission until their participation has been confirmed.
What types of international election observation positions are available?
Most openings are for short-term election observers (up to two weeks) and long-term election observers (generally up to two months, longer if there are several election rounds).
Other positions involve long-term democratization work. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the United Nations (UN) engage the largest number of individuals, but a myriad of non-governmental and other inter-governmental organizations may also be involved. Check out the CANADEM job postings for possible positions in long-term democratization.
What kind of skills and experience do I need to be an international election observer?
In general, international election observers must:
- Be in excellent health and fully mobile;
- Be able to access email daily. CANADEM communicates instructions and information electronically, due to mission time constraints and observers being spread across a number of time zones;
- Posses a Canadian passport valid for at least 6 months and has at least 4 blank pages in it to allow for visas;
- Be flexible and willing to adapt to changing schedules;
- Have prior elections experience, preferably international;
- Be able to deploy rapidly, and endure harsh conditions with only basic accommodations;
- Have experience quickly fitting into multinational teams;
- Have experience in a particular country or region;
- Proficiency in the local language is an asset.
The final selection criteria for each mission is determined by the requesting end user (OSCE/ODIHR, EU, UN, OAS, etc ..)* Note about securing valid Canadian Passport for individuals born in Quebec: Please note that individuals born in Quebec who are applying for a new passport cannot submit a birth certificate dated prior to 1992 as proof of date of birth. More details on the Services Québec website.
If I only have Canadian electoral experience, can I get international work?
In general, international organizations are looking for candidates with prior international experience. However, if you have easily transferable skills in the field of elections and/or democratization, as well as language skills and/or employment expertise/experience specific to a country of election observation, CANADEM may consider you for an observation mission.
I have no electoral experience (domestic or international). What can I do to become an expert in this field?
CANADEM is delighted that so many Canadians are eager to contribute to the democratic progress of countries around the world. With each mission, there are a finite number of observers selected for participation, and there are specific criteria that each observer must meet.
We encourage you to equip yourself with the skills necessary to be an effective international observer. Some examples of how to improve your candidacy are:
- Volunteer with an NGO or similar organization that is involved in elections (domestic or international).
- Possess the language abilities of the country in which the elections are taking place.
- Volunteer during a Canadian election to gain domestic electoral experience.
How do I get on the Elections Roster?
If you are already registered with CANADEM, you do not need to re-register. However, if you have not sent a summary of your elections experience to CANADEM, we suggest that you do so immediately.
If you have not yet registered, please follow the Registration link and complete the application process. Be sure to include your electoral-related experience as demonstrated below.
Election summaries must be in the following format:
- International Election Observation Experience (Position/Country/Organization/ Year)
For example:
"LTO/ Georgia/ OSCE/ 2003; STO/ Guyana/ The Carter Center/ 2001; STO/ Cambodia/ UN/ 1993; Senior Advisor/ Paraguay/ IFES/ 1999; District Elections Officer/ Mozambique/ UN/ 1994"
- Other Relevant Experience Related to Democratization, Governance, Electoral Processes (Position/Country/Organization/Year)
This should include most relevant international and Canadian electoral experience in areas of administration, supervision, logistics, technical assistance, training of local electoral staff, civic education, Elections Canada Returning Officer, etc. and any specialized elections training.
For example:
"Support to National Governance Program as civic education specialist/Mozambique/UNDP/2001-2003; Electoral advisor for Technical Assistance to Municipal Elections/Guinea/NDI/1999; Consultant, designed voter education program to reach minorities and women/Kosovo/OSCE/1996; International Election Monitoring Insitute 2-day Training on International Election Observation/Ottawa/IEMI - CANADEM/2006"
If I am already registered with CANADEM, what else should I do to be considered for election observation positions?
You will be considered automatically. Of course it is always important to keep your CANADEM file up-to-date, particularly your contact information and résumé.
If you have not yet submitted a summary of your elections experience, see instructions listed under the question above.
How will I find out about openings in the field of elections?
When CANADEM receives a request for candidates, we search the database to come up with a list of potential candidates with skills relevant to the position.
If you fit the requested profile, we will contact you by e-mail to see if you are available.
How are individuals selected for electoral missions? Does CANADEM decide?
Once the Government of Canada has decided to participate in election observation in a partner country; the Governance Directorate from CIDA notifies CANADEM. The CANADEM roster then proceeds to search for Canadian observers.
Canadian Election Observers are selected based on individual merit, taking into account international and national electoral observation experience/expertise, related election experience/expertise, recent country experience/expertise, and linguistic ability.
Once the candidates have been selected, their qualifications are sent to the Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) Core Team for final vetting.
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