Photo: KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP / Getty Images
The Trump administration has decided not to invite observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to monitor the upcoming midterm elections. This decision marks the first time in over two decades that the United States has not welcomed OSCE monitors, raising concerns among election integrity experts and Democrats about potential election meddling.
The OSCE, which has observed every U.S. federal election since 2002, typically visits polling stations and issues reports on election conduct. The absence of these monitors comes as the Department of Justice plans to deploy its own monitors, a move that has been met with skepticism. According to MS NOW, the decision aligns the U.S. with countries like Russia and Belarus, which have also excluded OSCE observers.
Human Rights Watch has criticized the decision, stating that it "fuels fears of serious human rights concerns around the upcoming elections." Philippe Bolopion from Human Rights Watch remarked that the U.S. is mimicking behavior it has previously criticized in other countries.
The Trump administration has previously threatened to withdraw from the OSCE unless it undertakes significant reforms. The OSCE's absence from the midterms is seen as a departure from established democratic practices, potentially undermining public trust in the electoral process.