SMS As a Tool in Election Observation (Innovations Case Narrative: National Democratic Institute)

generator as the first wave of observer reports poured into the small, stuffy headquarters of National Election Watch (NEW), a nonpartisan election-monitoring organization in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Outside, long voting lines had dissipated, and Sierra Leoneans were gathered around their radios, anxious to learn who had won the hotly contested presidential election and whether it was conducted in a fair and proper manner. The campaign period had been marred by violence between ruling and opposition party supporters that broke largely along ethnic lines. This was the first election since the end of the country’s brutal 10-year civil war to be run by Sierra Leone’s National Election Commission (NEC) rather than the United Nations (UN), and there was widespread concern that heavy seasonal rains would present insurmountable logistical difficulties. A relatively peaceful election day inspired guarded optimism, but it was tempered by concern over the violence that might result if rival political groups refused to accept the results. In its efforts to safeguard Sierra Leone’s elections, NEW, like election-monitoring organizations in many other countries, deployed thousands of trained accredited local volunteer observers to polling stations around the country. Their mere presence helped to protect the rights of voters and promote a fair and peaceful election environment. Equally important, they collected valuable information about what happened at each polling station: Were all eligible voters permitted to cast ballots? Did poll workers follow appropriate procedures? Did anyone attempt to disrupt the process? What were the results of the ballot count and did these results reflect the will of voters? This information would allow the leadership of NEW to provide an objective and independent assessment of the conduct of the elections and the credibility of the result. As Sierra Leoneans awaited radio updates, NEW volunteers raced to transmit observers’ information to the organization’s headquarters in Freetown for analysis. Boys on motorbikes weaved along washed-out roads, carrying the checklists that