Elections in Croatia: the work of poll workers and observers

Izbori i referendumi najveće su državne aktivnosti preko kojih građanke/i izražavaju svoju volju. Njihova provedba iznimno je zahtjevna i bitno je tko te kako ih provodi. Tijela za provedbu izbora (TPI) slabo su zastupljena istraživačka tema, a imaju veliku odgovornost u izbornom procesu te se često nazivaju četvrtom granom vlasti. Ova studija slučaja definira, opisuje i klasificira TPI općenito, a zatim u kontekstu Republike Hrvatske. Naglasak je stavljen na probleme u funkcioniranju biračkih odbora i promatračica/a. Oni su jedini u izravnom dodiru s biračicama/ima i svi njihovi problemi mogu se odraziti na izborne rezultate. Kroz intervjue u gradu Županji uočeni su problemi nekvalitetne edukacije pripadnica/ka TPI, snažanog utjecaj političkih stranaka, nepravilne provedbe kućnog glasanja te zlouporabe ovlasti i odgovornosti promatračica/a.Elections and referendums are the largest state activities through which citizens express their will. Their implementation is extremely demanding, and it is important who implements them and how. Electoral management bodies (EMB) are a poorly represented research topic but have a great responsibility in the electoral process and are often referred to as the fourth branch of government. This case study defines, describes and classifies TPI in general and then in the context of the Republic of Croatia. Emphasis was placed on problems in the functioning of poll workers and observers. They are the only ones in direct contact with the voters, and all their problems can be reflected in the election results. Through interviews in the town of Županja, problems of poor training of EMB members, strong influence of political parties, improper implementation of house voting, and abuse of authority and responsibility of observers, were noticed