Democracy Volunteers is a nonprofit organisation that aims to improve the quality of democratic elections. It sends teams of observers to attend elections and writes reports on their integrity and any issues that were observed.
History.
Democracy Volunteers was founded in 2016 and has since reported on a number of elections in the UK and worldwide.
Research.
Democracy Volunteers produces reports on each of the elections they observe.
The report on the 2022 UK local elections found evidence of 'Family Voting' in 25% of the polling booths observed. This research was mentioned in debates preceding the Ballot Secrecy Act 2023.
A key focus of observations on the 2023 UK local elections was on the recently introduced Voter ID laws. This report found that 1.2% of voters were turned away for lacking the correct ID and that non-white passing people were the most likely to be affected by this.
Podcast.
Democracy Volunteers has recently begun a podcast called 'Observations' which aims to discuss issues surrounding elections and democracy.
Funding.
Democracy Volunteers has received funding from the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust from between 2017 and 2025 to aid in its goals.