Staff Member Joins International Team to Observe Serbian Elections

Matthew Becker, research associate for outcomes assessment and learning advancement at the School of Pharmacy, was selected as an international election observer, where he served as a member of the U.S. Delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe during Serbia's local elections in June.

He joined a team of 126 observers from 28 OSCE participating States as part of the organization's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights' Election Observation Mission to Serbia. Observers played a crucial part in ensuring the integrity of election processes, and their findings ultimately contributed to a report offering recommendations to ensure fair and effective democratic elections.

"The whole point of an observer is exactly what it sounds like – you observe," Becker said. "You do not touch anything; you do not provide instructions; you cannot interfere."

After arriving in Belgrade, the capital, Becker was assigned to the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, located in the northern part of the country.

"I then went further out into the countryside area, and that was awesome; I loved it," he said. "Being in the capital is great, but I like going to rural areas. I was able to visit the point where the borders of Serbia, Romania and Hungary meet, which is very remote."

During his eight-day mission, Becker and a teammate visited 10 polling stations, observing the entire electoral process from setup to vote counting and tabulation at a randomly selected local election commission.

"We have to show up 30 minutes prior to a poll opening," Becker said. "We have to see them setting up and we have to confirm that the ballot box is empty, among other protocols. At the last polling station, we observe voting and closure followed by the counting of votes. We then go to a local election commission for overall tabulation from all polling stations."  

Overall, the mission observed 512 total polling stations on Election Day. Despite the workload, Becker said he found the experience rewarding.

The OSCE's preliminary report on the Serbian elections noted both strengths and areas for improvement.

"While these elections were well run, we nonetheless witnessed a dominance of the ruling party and misuse of public resources," said Ambassador Lamberto Zannier, head of the ODIHR Election Observation Mission in an official press release.

Becker, who speaks Serbian, took part in a rigorous selection process for this role that involved several months of training and vetting. With a variety of previous international experiences, he said his background in Western Balkan regional politics and security dynamics, language skills and domestic election administration likely contributed to his selection.

Becker's participation in this mission not only contributed to international democratic processes, but also enhanced his professional development, he said.

"This experience was truly eye-opening and rewarding," Becker said. "I'm grateful to the Ole Miss School of Pharmacy for fostering an environment where staff members can engage in roles like this and bring unique perspectives back to our work on campus."

Top: Matthew Becker spends time at the Election Observation Mission headquarters in Belgrade, Serbia. Becker, research associate for outcomes assessment and learning advancement at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, served as an election observer in the Balkan nation. Submitted photo