The November mid-term congressional elections were competitive and professionally managed, with voters actively taking part. Candidates could campaign freely, but the tone was highly polarized and the campaign negatively impacted by harsh rhetoric. In many cases, partisan redistricting reduced the competitiveness in some constituencies. Disclosure rules for campaign finance are generally comprehensive, but loopholes in the law make the impact of money in politics less transparent. There was generally a high level of confidence in the election administration, but the politicization of the offices of chief election officials and the intimidation of election workers were issues of concern.
These are some of the main conclusions detailed in the final report published today by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The report offers 31 recommendations to bring elections in the United States of America closer in line with OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections.
Key recommendations include:
- Guaranteeing full representation rights in Congress, to citizens residing in the District of Columbia, as well as U.S. territories
- Ensuring that redistricting is carried out by independent bodies to ensure competitiveness and provide effective opportunity for voters, including minorities, to elect the representatives of their choice
- Considering comprehensive reform of the legal framework for campaign finance to ensure a more level playing field for smaller parties and independent candidates, as well as limiting campaign expenditures
- Legally requiring independent groups and non-profit organizations that engage in campaign activities or donate to campaign committees to disclose the sources of their funding within a specific timeframe
- Barring election officials at state and local level from overseeing elections in which they are competing
- Discouraging inflammatory and divisive rhetoric, including attempts to undermine trust in the electoral process
- Ensuring that voter identification documents are equally available to all voters
- Setting of policy by federal states, together with relevant federal institutions, to ensure the integrity and confidentiality of electronic absentee voting
- Strengthening legal, financial, technological, and educational support for local journalism to encourage a more diverse media environment
- Ensuring access to international and citizen non-partisan observers in all states and to all stages of the electoral process
ODIHR deployed a Limited Election Observation Mission (LEOM) to the United States of America from 25 September to 18 November to observe the 8 November vote.
In Paragraph 25 of the 1999 OSCE Istanbul Document, OSCE states committed "to follow up promptly the ODIHR's election assessment and recommendations". The ODIHR Electoral Recommendations Database tracks the extent to which recommendations are implemented by states across the OSCE region.
