Guidelines to Assist National Minority Participation in the Electoral Process Page: 41 ! list of relevant questions to be asked, regarding opinions on election law and system, candidate nomination, voter registration, election campaign etc. • The deployment of LTOs should take into account areas with a concentration of national minorities and such LTO team should be specially briefed. LTOs to Fully Brief STOs LTOs with responsibility for areas with a concentration of national minorities should ensure STO teams deployed to the area are fully briefed on the particularities of the area. Written materials from LTOs should clearly explain to STOs the demographic composition of the area and identify main issues and concerns. LTOs should ensure that STOs properly cover polling stations serving national minority communities. The issues to be considered are outlined below. VI. ROLE OF SHORT-TERM OBSERVERS (STOs) Where appropriate, STO Report Forms should include special sections on national minority questions and STO briefings should cover the same questions. • Level of Participation and Understanding of Process STO Report Forms may well ask questions regarding the level of participation and voters’ understanding of the process. STOs in areas with a national minority should be encouraged to report specifically on these issues, as they are highly pertinent to the assessment of minority participation and the extent to which the issues of voter registration and voter education have been addressed by the authorities. • Evidence of Intimidation or Restrictions on Movement As above, all STOs will be asked about instances of intimidation of voters or restrictions on movement. STOs should be asked whether there were for example, road blocks or large number of police / security forces / party activists either preventing voters from participating or intimidating them into voting for a particular party / candidate. • Accuracy of Voter Registers STOs should be asked to observe closely the processing of voters in national minority areas and check for instances of voters not on the register. If the incidence of names missing is high, STOs should ask election commissions (including at the district level) and voters for a possible explanation.