International election monitors warn Trump's attacks on election undermines public trust in democracy
More than 100 observers monitored the election
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Election monitors in Europe have criticised the 2020 US election, claiming it is undermining the public's trust in the democratic process.
The Organisation for Security and Co-Operation in Europe issued a press release on Wednesday praising the logistical execution of the election while decrying the political polarisation of US politicians and Donald Trump's baseless claims that fraud has been committed.
An OSCE observer team has been monitoring the election.
“Nobody – no politician, no elected official – should limit the people’s right to vote. Coming after such a highly dynamic campaign, making sure that every vote is counted is a fundamental obligation for all branches of government,” Michael Georg Link, of the OSCE and leader of the observer mission, said.
“Baseless allegations of systematic deficiencies, notably by the incumbent President, including on election night, harm public trust in democratic institutions,” he said.
Despite Mr Trump's attempts to undermine the legitimacy of the election, the monitors praised election workers and the broader US citizenry for engaging in an overall peaceful and organised election.
“The enormous effort made by election workers, supported by many engaged citizens, ensured that voters could cast their votes despite legal and technical challenges and deliberate attempts by the incumbent president to weaken confidence in the election process,” Urszula Gacek, who headed the election observation mission in Washington DC, said.
Observers factored the coronavirus and its added stressors into its overview of the US election.
"The COVID-19 pandemic was an enormous challenge to the organisation of the elections, but it also had a significant impact on the election campaign. Measures taken to ensure that voters were able to cast their ballot during the pandemic triggered drawn-out lawsuits driven by partisan interests, negatively affecting the work of the election administration and confusing voters," the report said. "Election day itself was peaceful and took place without unrest or intimidation. Health safety measures were generally followed."
The mission also commented on the media coverage of the election, calling it "highly polarised" but also "pluralistic and diverse."
"Freedom of expression was respected ahead of the elections, with a wide range of information available that helped voters make an informed choice," the report said.
The observer mission was made up of 102 observers from 39 countries.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments