Final Report: International Election Observation Mission to the 2014 Afghanistan Presidential Election Run-off Ballot Audit

The first round of voting was held on April 5, 2014, with none of the candidates receiving the 50 percent plus one vote needed to win. As a result, the two leading Presidential candidates, Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani, faced off in a second round of voting on June 14, 2014. Following the release of initial results from this second round, candidate Abdullah Abdullah alleged massive fraud in favor of his opponent Ashraf Ghani. Both Presidential candidates requested a full investigation of the serious and credible allegations of fraud and called for measures to separate fraudulent ballots from valid votes. An audit plan, facilitated by the United States Secretary of State, John Kerry, and implemented through the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), was agreed to by the two Presidential candidates on July 12, 2014. The plan, founded upon international best practice, called for a complete audit of the 8,109,493 ballots cast in the runoff election of June 14, 2014. The Asia Foundation International Election Observation Mission operated as one of four US Government-sponsored entities participating in the audit process. The audit team, comprising 28 international observers and analysts, including 12 women, represented a dozen countries. The team was led by Mission Director Andy Campbell, with Lead Observers Hugh Fulton and Bill Clay providing support. The audit process was facilitated by the Independent Election Commission for Afghanistan (IEC) and the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC), with security provided by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). The audit plan involved a comprehensive review of the ballots, including the use of Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) and Electronic Voting (EV) systems. The team also conducted a thorough analysis of the audit results, which were released on December 10, 2014. The audit found that the results of the runoff election were largely consistent with the initial results, with Ashraf Ghani declared the winner. The audit process was widely recognized as a significant achievement in the development of Afghanistan's electoral process. The Asia Foundation's International Election Observation Mission played a key role in the audit process, providing critical support and expertise to the IEC and IECC. The mission's findings and recommendations were widely disseminated, providing valuable insights into the electoral process and contributing to the development of a more transparent and accountable electoral system in Afghanistan. The audit process also highlighted the importance of international cooperation and support in the development of Afghanistan's electoral process. The involvement of the US Government, the United Nations, and other international partners was critical in facilitating the audit process and ensuring its integrity. The Asia Foundation's International Election Observation Mission was proud to have played a part in this important process, and looks forward to continuing its support for the development of a more democratic and accountable electoral system in Afghanistan. The audit process also identified several areas for improvement in the electoral process, including the need for greater transparency and accountability in the counting and tabulation of votes. The mission's findings and recommendations were widely disseminated, providing valuable insights into the electoral process and contributing to the development of a more transparent and accountable electoral system in Afghanistan. The Asia Foundation's International Election Observation Mission was led by Mission Director Andy Campbell, with Lead Observers Hugh Fulton and Bill Clay providing support. The mission's personnel included 43 permanent and contracted representatives from The Asia Foundation, who worked closely with the IEC and IECC to facilitate the audit process. The audit process was facilitated by the Independent Election Commission for Afghanistan (IEC) and the Independent Electoral Complaints Commission (IECC), with security provided by the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). The mission's findings and recommendations were widely disseminated, providing valuable insights into the electoral process and contributing to the development of a more transparent and accountable electoral system in Afghanistan.