MPs observe US election

November 11, 2022

From November 4 to 9, 2022, five MPs participated in the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Election Observation Mission for the United States Midterm Elections. They were members of the Senate Karimi (head of delegation, GroenLinks), Beukering (Nanninga Group) and Gerkens (SP) and members of the House of Representatives Vineyards Van (VVD) and savages (VVP). With 132 OSCE Parliamentary Assembly observers from more than 30 countries, it was the largest election observation mission ever. On the sidelines of the observation mission, the delegation met with the Dutch ambassador André Haspels.

Election Day, November 8 mid Roadvotes were cast for all 435 members of the House of Representatives, 35 senators and 36 governors. Senator Karimi was part of the observation mission in New Hampshire, Congressman Van Wijngaarden in Nevada, Congressman Beukering in California. Members Gerkens and Wilders observed in New York. Members witnessed the opening and closing of polling stations and in the meantime visited different polling stations in different locations to get a good idea of ​​how the elections went.

Almost all the polling stations were pleasantly surprised by the visit of international observers and made a point of showing their will to ensure the greatest possible transparency of the voting process. In addition, interpreters were present at each polling station and access for persons with disabilities was guaranteed, even to special voting machines. They also spoke of a higher turnout than expected. It is striking that the police play a major role in the electoral process. They bring the keys for the opening and at the closing they collect the results of the vote to bring them to the central point where the results of the different polling stations are added up. One or more police officers were also present in the polling stations throughout the day to be able to intervene quickly or call for help in the event of a problem. Although people were well prepared for possible incidents, these did not occur in any of the polling stations visited.

The main findings of the OSCE PA were that the elections were organized in a competitive and professional manner, with active voter participation, but also threats against election officials and attempts to undermine voters’ confidence in the electoral process. Candidates were free to campaign, but it was very polarized. The OSCE PA report on the US midterm elections can be viewed here.

Ahead of election day, MEPs attended the OSCE PA briefings on 5 and 6 November. They discussed how elections in the United States are conducted, how political parties and politicians are funded, how voting can be conducted, and what safeguards exist to ensure that elections are conducted in the way most likely to be conducted. as transparent as possible. The OSCE PA observation mission took place in nine different states. Remarkably, although the United States has invited the OSCE PA to observe, the mission is not welcome in all states. Dutch members observed in California, Nevada, New Hampshire and New York. On November 7, the members were informed on the spot with particular attention to the local context.