NDI has assisted civic groups in 52 countries perform over 200 parallel vote tabulations (PVT) and continues to help citizen groups evolve in the methodology that they use to oversee their election processes. For more information about how a PVT works, where they have been implemented, PVT findings or the concept of sample-based observation in general, please see below.

You can learn more about what a PVT is, why an organization would conduct one, and how they work by exploring NDI's PVT infographic.

NDI's History with PVTs

For over 25 years, NDI has assisted nonpartisan citizen election observation groups perform PVTs (also called Quick Counts) and sample-based observations in over 52 countries. NDI brings a vast amount of technical understanding to the process and is able to bring comparative experiences to systematic election observation projects.

Guidance on Performing PVTs

Drawing on the Institute's history of assessing citizen organizations globally, NDI routinely provides advice and assistance to civil society organizations on various parts of the sample-based observation process.

A Background on PVTs/Quick Counts

Getting Started with a PVT

Promoting a PVT/Quick Count

Building the Observer Volunteer Network

Statistical Principles of a PVT/Quick Count

Assessing an Election's Quality with a PVT/Quick Count

Collecting and Analyzing Data

End Game and Larger Strategy

Sections above are taken from NDI's handbook: THE QUICK COUNT AND ELECTION OBSERVATION: AN NDI GUIDE FOR CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS AND POLITICAL PARTIES, which is also available in Arabic, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. 

PVTs Around the World

Since 1995, the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) in the Republic of Georgia has conducted 8 PVTs with varying levels of technical assistance from NDI. Watch the informational video they produced in the run-up to the 2014 local elections to learn more about PVTs in Georgia and the methodology more broadly.

Ahead of Ghana's 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections, the Coalition of Domestic Election Monitors (CODEO) produced a video explaining the parallel vote tabulation methodology and plans for election day.

In preparation for Côte d’Ivoire's October 2015 presidential elections, citizen observer coalition la Plateforme de la Société Civile pour l’Observation des Elections en Côte d’Ivoire (POECI) put together a video detailing the group's PVT and the rigorous methodology used by the group and others around the world and in Africa.