Vote Monitor in 2025: Continuous Supporting for Free and Transparent Elections Worldwide

2024 was a particularly busy year for the Commit Global’s Democracy and Transparency team. We had the privilege of observing the European Parliament elections simultaneously in three EU countries for the first time. In addition, we observed national and local elections in Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Georgia, where we conducted our largest mission to date—over 3,000 observers and 34+ local and international partners using Vote Monitor to ensure election integrity.

Building on the momentum of 2024, we’re continuing our mission for free and fair elections in 2025. In the first few months of 2025, Commit Global and its partner organizations will be observing elections in Kosovo, Armenia, Romania, Poland, and Albania.

We’re kicking off the year with the parliamentary elections in Kosovo on February 9, 2025, where voters will elect the 120 members of the Assembly. The elections will be observed by the European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE), a long-time partner of Commit Global. EPDE, established in 2012, is a network of independent citizen election observation organizations that supports citizen election observation and contributes to democratic processes across Europe. EPDE has been involved in several missions with us, including observing the European Parliament elections in Romania. In 2024, the organization also observed the Georgian parliamentary elections using the Vote Monitor application. Commit Global is thrilled to assist EPDE once again for the international observation mission in Kosovo, continuing our shared commitment to election transparency.

Next, we turn to Armenia, where two snap elections are scheduled for March 30, 2025, in the communities of Parakar and Gyumri. The Armenian government decided to dissolve the Parakar City Council on January 16, calling for early elections. At the same time, the authorities in Gyumri have scheduled an early municipal election for March 30, after dissolving the city’s municipal council. These elections will be observed by the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor (HCAV), an organization that has been monitoring human rights and elections in Armenia for years. HCAV, which has been involved in long-term and short-term election observation, previously worked with Commit Global and EPDE during the 2024 European Parliament elections in Romania and the Georgian parliamentary elections. We are excited to support HCAV in their local election observation mission this time in Armenia.

Next, we look to Romania, where presidential elections are scheduled for May 4 and 18, 2025, following the annulment of the results from the 2024 presidential elections. Commit Global has been actively involved in monitoring elections in Romania since 2016, where we first introduced the Vote Monitor application. Since then, Vote Monitor has been used by Expert Forum to observe three electoral rounds in Romania in 2019 and 2020. In 2024, it was utilized by Vot Correct, a coalition of multiple NGOs led by Expert Forum as the main coordinator. For the upcoming elections, Commit Global will continue its collaboration with Expert Forum, a key partner in Romania's electoral processes.  Expert Forum focuses on projects related to organizing and conducting elections, accrediting domestic observers, and monitoring major electoral events. Since 2016, Commit Global has been supporting Expert Forum with Vote Monitor to ensure credible and transparent elections in Romania.

On May 18, 2025, we will once again observe two elections simultaneously in two countries, each with its own local partners. As mentioned earlier, Romania will hold its second round of presidential elections, and in Poland, we will be observing the Presidential Elections alongside our long-time partner, The Political Accountability Foundation (PAF). Established in 2016, PAF is dedicated to promoting domestic election observation across Polish society, increasing transparency in public life, and improving citizens’ understanding of the electoral process and their rights. PAF achieves these goals by organizing election observation missions in Poland, conducting observation missions in Eastern Europe, creating educational materials for election observers, and monitoring social media during election campaigns. Commit Global has worked with PAF since 2018, observing national elections in Poland in 2023 and joining forces during the European Parliament elections in Bulgaria as part of an international mission which used the Vote Monitor tool. PAF also participated in the 2024 Georgian parliamentary elections, observing the process in coalition with EPDE. Beyond election observation, PAF is a long-standing partner of Commit Global in strengthening NGO collaboration on democratic elections. They contributed to our Elections Watch workshop in Bucharest in 2024 and were instrumental in refining the Vote Monitor app, helping transform it into a versatile tool that can be used for any type of election, anywhere.

Last but not least, in May 2025, Vote Monitor will be used to observe one of Albania's very important and consequential elections—the parliamentary elections on May 11, where voters will elect 140 members of parliament. This mission will be led by Agora Election Observation (AEO), a youth-focused international observation organization dedicated to fostering a democratic, participatory, diverse, and transnational Europe that upholds human rights. AEO’s core mission is to train young people as international election observers while focusing on youth participation in elections across Europe, a demographic that remains underrepresented. The organization seeks to understand the reasons behind this underrepresentation and empower young people to engage in the electoral process. Commit Global has worked with AEO before, notably during Romania's parliamentary elections, where a delegation of over 20 young observers used the Vote Monitor tool. We’re excited to support them again, this time in Albania, as they continue their important work in engaging youth in the electoral process.

As we move through 2025, Commit Global remains dedicated to supporting democratic processes and promoting transparent, free, and fair elections across the globe. From the upcoming parliamentary elections in Kosovo, Armenia, Romania, Poland, and Albania, to our continued partnerships with local NGOs and civil society organizations, we are proud to help ensure that elections are conducted with the highest standards of integrity. With the success of Vote Monitor in 2024, we look forward to expanding our efforts to even more countries in the future, empowering observers and strengthening democracy at the grassroots level.