In the one-party city, we'll be needing some human rights assistance.

Speaking politically, one-party states seldom relinquish their monopoly "rights" without a fight.

ON THE AVENUES: One-keg parties rarely work, either.

 ... Obviously, the very notion of a one-party state embraces the concentration of power within one sphere, according to a single set of guidelines, and with avenues of political participation effectively closed apart from reigning orthodoxy. In the absence of palpable opposition, the sole party devotes itself to maintaining its own entrenched bureaucracy, safe in the knowledge that governmental institutions merely mimic the party’s own time-honored levers, and cannot be detached either physically or metaphorically from the entrenched patronage of the party itself.

Or, in other words, much like political life in New Albany.

If you're wondering why an otherwise sensible person like Democratic Party chairman Adam Dickey would comment on social media to the effect that the Party loves and supports all its candidates equally, conveniently ignoring David White's primary election evidence to the contrary, and even after Dan Coffey spent much of 2015 publicly contradicting the Party's platform, behaving as an unreconstructed, homophobic nutcase and regarding Dickey's stewardship with palpable disdain, it's because Coffey is completely unprincipled and therefore useful to the maintenance of a one-party city.

If Jeff Gahan is Vito Corleone and Dickey poses as Tom Hagen, then Coffey serves as Luca Brasi. The only drawback to this analogy is that "The Godfather" was not a product of Walt Disney's studio.

As Dickey publicly whistles tunes from the musical "How to Succeed in Politics Without Really Trying," Coffey can be relied upon to plant stilettos in the backs of opponents, especially those within the Party itself -- like John Gonder, who should remember never to choose a chair facing the door.

Coffey occurs precisely because shift is not intended to happen, and that's why we must be pro-active and contact the Carter Center now.

Do election monitors charge by the hour? We can crowd-source their pay packets.

Checkpoints at cemeteries should do the trick ... right, Adam?

Our Goal

The Carter Center works globally to advance democratic elections and governance consistent with universal human rights.

What do Carter Center election observers do?

Election observers recognized as impartial and credible play a key role in shaping perceptions about the quality and legitimacy of electoral processes. To ensure a meaningful, nonpartisan role for its election observation activities, The Carter Center must be invited by a country's election authorities and welcomed by the major political parties.

Election observation missions start long before election day, with experts and long-term observers analyzing election laws, assessing voter education and registration, and evaluating fairness in campaigns. On election day, observers assess the casting and counting of ballots. In the days and weeks after the election, observers monitor the tabulation process, electoral dispute resolution processes, and the publication of final results.

Read more about our recent observation of elections in Nepal, Madagascar, Kenya, Mozambique, and Tunisia.