Observers

August 11, 2004

Perhaps American democracy is no longer the envy of the world. International observers will be on hand to monitor this year's elections: Citing 2000 dispute, OSCE to track US presidential vote

OSCE members, which include the United States, agreed in 1990 to invite the group to observe their elections. This would be the first invitation to a US presidential election the OSCE accepts, spokeswoman Urdur Gunnarsdottir said.

The Copenhagen Document § I.(8) provides:

The participating States consider that the presence of observers, both foreign and domestic, can enhance the electoral process for States in which elections are taking place. They therefore invite observers from any other CSCE participating States and any appropriate private institutions and organizations who may wish to do so to observe the course of their national election proceedings, to the extent permitted by law. They will also endeavour to facilitate similar access for election proceedings held below the national level. Such observers will undertake not to interfere in the electoral proceedings.

OSCE provided observers to the 2002 mid-term elections: OSCE/ODIHR Election Assessment Mission Report

In line with the 1990 Copenhagen Document commitments, the United States invited the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to observe the 5 November 2002 general elections in the U.S. The ODIHR deployed an Election Assessment Mission to the U.S. in order to assess the measures the authorities and civil society had undertaken to address the challenges of the 2000 presidential election and to learn from any examples of good practice that may have been put in place. Given the problems in Florida during the 2000 election, the Mission focused on that state, but also visited federal institutions and representatives of civil society in Washington (District of Columbia)