International representatives from the Limited Election Observation Mission are observing early voting on the University of Missouri campus at Memorial Union.
The non-partisan program sends researchers from several countries, including Austria and Mongolia, to gather information on the American electoral process. 64 long-term observers are deployed in multiple states, including Missouri. The goal is to use the information to advise the election processes in other countries.
Veronika Homolová is a long-term observer from the Czech Republic. Although it is her seventh mission, it is her first time in the United States, and she said the elections here are incomparable. She is conducting interviews with electoral administrators, political parties and the media.
"We are using this information to report to our core team in Washington D.C. And those experts are drafting reports,” Homolová said. “All of the countries can read the reports.”
After Election Day, the observers will go to Washington to share their research. The report from the research will be published approximately two months after the general election.
International observers have been to Boone County before, according to Boone County Clerk Brianna Lennon.
“It's been great to talk to people about how our process works, explain all of the details and the checks and balances we have. And universally any election observer that we've had here has been fantastic and really interested in learning more about how American elections operate,” Lennon said.
No-excuse absentee voting began last week. This year is the first that early voting is open on the MU campus.
“If people have classes on Election Day, if employees aren't able to make it to the polls on Election Day, for whatever reason, this is an opportunity for them to be able to cast their ballot before Election Day and not have to worry about missing out,” Lennon said.
Early voting has grown in popularity across the country since the 2020 election. According to CNN, more than 43 million Americans already voted in the general election.
This morning, Lennon said voting at Memorial Union was steady and that the poll workers are excited to help more voters.
No-excuse early voting at Memorial Union is taking place from October 28 to October 31 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on November 1 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.