a candidate or to influence the will of voters, was emphasized. Considering that, the ultimate goal of monitoring is to ensure that the voters can exercise their political rights according to their free will and to ensure the fairness, transparency, and smooth running of the electoral process. 29. The Supreme Committee for the General Supervision of the Soundness of Elections also explained the scope of the work of the observers and monitors on polling day, clarifying that the observers are prohibited from carrying out any action that would obstruct the electoral process or influence the ballot and counting processes. In addition, they are prohibited from interfering to provide voters with advice or counsel, as well as influencing the freedom of voters on polling day. For example, holding any electoral propaganda, placing, carrying, or displaying any tokens belonging to any of the candidates, asking voters about their selected candidate before or after the ballot, or wearing anything that is a sign of his/her political affiliation. 30. The observer should carry his/her identity papers, his/her card or permit issued for him/her in his/her capacity as an observer at all times. The observer should also identify himself/herself to the concerned authorities if requested to do so, and should disclose his constituency and whether any of his/her relatives is a candidate or is directly involved in the electoral process. In addition, the observer may not make any statements or instructions involving invalidation or undermining, whether explicit or implicit, of the decisions of the competent bodies involved in the elections. 31. The NIHR’s Committee for Observing the Parliamentary and Municipal Elections of 2018 selected a random sample of the public and provincial polling stations to monitor and ensure the proper conduct of the electoral process. The following public polling stations were visited: Public Center No. (1) Seef Mall, Public Center No. (3) Sitra Mall, Public Center No. (4) Al Hidd Intermediate Girls School, Public Center No. (5) Bahrain International Airport, Public Center No. (8) Ministry of Education Hall, Public Center No. (9) Wadi Alsail Primary Intermediate Boys School, Public Center No. (10) Awali Club, Public Center No. (11) Bahrain International Circuit (Sakhir), Public Center No. (12) Askar Primary Intermediate Boys School, Public Center No. (13) University of Bahrain, and Public Center No. (14) Muharraq Sport Club. 32. About sixteen (16) Provincial Centers in the four governorates of the Kingdom were visited, namely: Muharraq Secondary Girls School, Hassan Bin Thabit Primary Boys School, Hidd Secondary Girls School, Ruqaya Primary Girls School, Isa Town Primary Boys School, East Rifaa Secondary Boys School, Uqba Bin Nafea Primary Boys School, West Riffa Secondary Girls School, East Riffa Primary Girls School, Zallaq Primary Intermediate Girls School, Al Dora Center, Jidhafs Intermediate Boys School, Hamad Town Primary Boys School, Ghazi Al Qusaibi Secondary Girls School, Al A’ahd Al Zaher Secondary Girls School, and Ibn Tufail Primary Boys School. 33. Accordingly, this chapter is based on all the stages of the electoral process, which commenced from the stage of calling for election and nomination, registration in voters’ lists and objections on such, followed by receiving candidacy applications, objections and appeals lodged on such, reaching electoral propaganda and electoral silence. 65