Observing Election Day is one of the principal ways the European Parliament supports democracy. Because MEPs are the EU's only directly elected representatives, their contribution is essential. With personal experience of campaigns, issues of financing and the work of representing citizens, MEPs bring political legitimacy to observation missions. Over more than three decades, the European Parliament has observed several hundred elections. Every year, MEPs travel to as many as a dozen countries across the world. Observing Election Day is one of the principal ways the European Parliament supports democracy.