General Elections, 4 November 2008

Following an invitation from the Government of the United States of America to observe the 4 November general elections, ODIHR conducted a needs assessment mission and subsequently deployed a limited election observation mission on 10 October.

Headed by Ambassador Audrey Glover of the United Kingdom, the mission consisted of 13 core team experts based in Washington, DC, and 47 long-term observers deployed to a total of 40 states. In total, 22 OSCE participating States were represented in the mission.

According to the mission's final report: "The United States has a long standing tradition of conducting elections in line with the principles of a pluralistic representative democracy. The 4 November general elections demonstrated respect for fundamental freedoms, the rule of law and transparency. These elections mostly met OSCE commitments for democratic elections. However, concerns that arose during recent elections have yet to be fully addressed in some states, and the continuation of efforts to further enhance public confidence in the election process would be appropriate."

Previous elections

ODIHR has observed a number of elections in the United States. It undertook election assessment missions to follow the congressional mid-term elections in 2002, with a focus on the state of Florida, and in 2006. In 2004, the OSCE conducted an election observation mission of a targeted nature for the general elections.