From July to mid-September 2015, I served as a core team leader for an observation mission of the Afghanistan Presidential Election Audit. The second round of the presidential election was filled with irregularities and fraud, prompting the losing candidate, Abdullah Abdullah, to challenge the results. With the country on the verge of civil war, the international community brokered an unprecedented 100% audit of all cast ballots. For nearly three months straight, seven days a week, my team, along with many others, observed a UN administered audit of each ballot box.
Each box was counted in one of five warehouses in the Afghan Independent Election Commission's (IEC) compound on Jalalabad road in Kabul. The warehouses were dusty with poor hygiene, and shifts lasted as long as 16 plus hours a day. The work load was frantic and tense, but IEC staff pushed through knowing that continued delays threatened the future of their country.
While dedication of the Afghan election commission staff was inspiring, the political nature of the exercise failed conclusively determine a realistic vote total based on voter intent. The final outcome was never released and a peace deal gave shared power to both candidates.
