courts or the numbers of decisions and cases assigned by the state institutions in which redress is being sought. Court/Election Commission/Other Institution: This field indicates the state institution with which the complaint is filed. Courts generally decide disputes and complaints, however during elections, special provisions often allow for other institutions, such as election commissions, to have authority over election disputes. Other institutions can include ministries, special courts or public prosecutors. This field is key to understanding the possible forums within which complainants may seek redress. Date: This field refers to the date on which the case was filed with the state body on the registration form of the given case, NOT the date on which it was brought to the attention of the election observation mission or registered. As noted, only complaints on which action is sought ought to be registered. By entering the date on which the case was filed, it is easy to assess whether the time-limit for action by the court or commission has passed (see table). Region: This field refers specifically to the electoral administrative subdivisions of a state (i.e. precincts and constituencies) and will vary from country to country. However, it is crucial to the understanding of possible election-related violations that the area in which complaints occur is monitored. This will allow the election observation mission to note whether there are geographic patterns to disputes during an election. Constituency: This refers to the election-specific administrative units in a given election. The entry of data in this field is particularly important to the monitoring of administrative violations and violations which occur during the voting process and the vote counting. Complainant: This refers to the person or organization complaining that their rights have been violated. In court cases, this refers to the plaintiff and in elections candidates are among those most likely to complain. Since candidates often file complaints during the election process, it is desirable to include their name in this field, even if it is their proxy or party which complains for them. Accused: The information in this field refers to the organization or person being complained about. Commonly accused during elections are election commissions, other candidates, state institutions or other organizations. Summary: This should contain a detailed description of the alleged facts that occurred and resulted in the complaint. This entry should be both as exhaustive and concise as possible. Status: This field should note whether appeals or referrals have been filed following a decision or action by the institution where the case was first filed. For instance, if the case was filed with a government department which in turn referred it to another body, such as the prosecutor, central election commission, or court. Comments: All other information that is of interest should be noted here. For instance, if there are similar complaints or other relevant information not appropriate to the other fields, it can be mentioned here. 18