General Elections, 6 November 2012

Following an official invitation from the United States Mission to the OSCE, and based on the findings and conclusions of a Needs Assessment Mission (NAM), the OSCE/ODIHR has deployed a Limited Election Observation Mission (LEOM) for the 6 November 2012 general elections.

Long-term Observation

The OSCE/ODIHR LEOM, headed by Ambassador Daan Everts, began its work on 4 October. The LEOM has a core team of 13 international staff at the head office in Washington D.C., drawn from 10 OSCE participating States. Forty-four long-term observers are expected to arrive in the country by 9 October and will be deployed in teams of two throughout the country.

The mission assessed these elections for their compliance with OSCE commitments and other international standards for democratic elections, as well as national legislation. Observers followed campaign activities, the work of the election administration and relevant federal and state institutions, implementation of the legislative framework, and the resolution of election disputes. As part of the observation, the LEOM conducted comprehensive monitoring of the media.

Previous Elections

ODIHR has assessed elections in the United States since 2002, most recently the 2010 mid-term elections.