OSCE says the U.S. did not invite observers to the midterms for the first time in more than 20 years, prompting rights concerns

The United States has not invited the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to observe the upcoming midterm elections, the OSCE said. Its Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights said these will be the first U.S. federal elections since it began election observation in the country for which it has received no invitation.

OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Pere Joan Pons called the decision a “significant departure from an established democratic practice” and said he deeply regretted it. Since 2002, the organization has observed 12 U.S. federal elections, including six midterms. Human Rights Watch said the decision “fuels fears of serious human rights concerns around the upcoming elections.”