Albania will hold parliamentary elections on June 23, 2013. The National Democratic Institute is analyzing the electoral process through this series of reports, building off its 20 year presence in Albania, including its March 2013 assessment of the pre-election environment, which offered recommendations to enhance the credibility of the election process based on international standards. 

Nonpartisan citizen observers play an important role during elections by raising public confidence in the election process, deterring electoral malfeasance, exposing irregularities, and providing citizens with important information concerning the integrity of elections.

Exercising the fundamental right to vote in most countries depends largely on the existence of an accurate and complete voter registry. The maintenance and upkeep of such a voter registry can be particularly challenging in countries with insufficient records, transient populations or weak infrastructure. Moreover, voter registries are susceptible to manipulation for electoral advantage. Inaccurate voter registries have led to numerous post-election conflicts in elections held around the world and have disenfranchised many eligible voters.