Foreign observers ratchet up presence at US poll sites, amid interference claims
Foreign observers ratchet up presence at US poll sites, amid interference claims
By Fred Lucas
Published October 25, 2016 FoxNews.com
Amid claims from both presidential campaigns of election interference, an international agency is planning to dramatically expand the number of observers deployed to U.S. polling locations – though they’ve had to scale back their original game plan since some states won’t allow the foreign poll watchers.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE, originally announced it would send 100 long-term election observers “to follow the electoral process countrywide” and 400 short-term observers “to follow election day proceedings.” The 500 observers would mark a tenfold increase from 2012, when the group had just 44 observers in the United States. The OSCE is better known for sending observers into countries where democracy seems shaky, such as Ukraine.
The move comes as Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has warned about a “rigged” election, and called for his supporters to act as citizen election observers as well. Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, and Obama administration officials, have said the Russian government is attempting to influence the U.S. election.
The OSCE says it has made its deployment decision independent of this year’s campaign rhetoric. Further, the OSCE has had to reduce its planned observer force in recent weeks – given that a dozen states prohibit international observers, while seven states and the District of Columbia explicitly allow them. Most other states allow counties to make interpretations.
“The decision to send observers or not depends on the participating states,” said Thomas Rymer, spokesman for the OSCE’s Office of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.
Whether the observer presence will lead to tensions at poll sites remains to be seen. But Kay Stimson, spokeswoman for the National Association of Secretaries of State, the group representing chief state election officials, said they’ve been coached on following the law.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016...ce-claims.html
