--- title: "OSCE monitors not invited to US elections for first time since 2002" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/osce-monitors-not-invited-to-us-elections-for-first-time-since-2002" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/osce-monitors-not-invited-to-us-elections-for-first-time-since-2002" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/osce-monitors-not-invited-to-us-elections-for-first-time-since-2002.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/osce-monitors-not-invited-to-us-elections-for-first-time-since-2002" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-23T16:25:28.233Z" source_reported: "2026-09-23T15:37:59.884Z" updated: "2026-09-23T16:25:28.233Z" trust_score: 86 critic_score: 87 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-23T16:15:19.755773+00:00" --- # OSCE monitors not invited to US elections for first time since 2002 *European security body calls decision a "significant departure from an established democratic practice."* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 86 of 100, higher is better. Trust high (86) because OSCE statements, named official Pere Joan Pons, and multiple independent outlets corroborate the fact. - Craft 87 of 100, higher is better. Critic score 87; reports quote OSCE president, give specific dates and figures, and explain significance. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Hype low (15); language is factual without sensational adjectives or clickbait headlines. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The OSCE has not been invited to observe the US midterm elections in November 2026. - This is the first time the OSCE has been excluded from observing US federal elections since 2002. - The OSCE has observed 12 federal elections in the US since 2002, including six midterms. - The OSCE president called the decision a "significant departure from an established democratic practice." The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) announced on Wednesday that its observers have not been invited to the United States midterm elections scheduled for November 2026. This marks the first instance of the OSCE being excluded from monitoring US federal elections since 2002. The organisation stated that this decision is "not in line with the commitments undertaken by all OSCE participating states." Since 2002, the OSCE has observed a total of 12 federal elections in the United States, which included six midterm elections. Pere Joan Pons, president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, described the exclusion as a “significant departure from an established democratic practice” and stated, “I deeply regret the decision.” The OSCE is a Vienna-based organisation founded in 1975, with 57 member states from Europe, central Asia, and North America, focused on security, political, economic, and environmental cooperation, as well as election observation. ## Disagreement on election year The OSCE announced its observers have not been invited to the US midterm elections in November 2026, according to CTV News. However, svt Nyheter reported that the US has decided not to invite the OSCE to monitor the 2026 congressional elections, and Hospodárske Noviny stated the OSCE observers were not invited to the November US congressional elections, also referred to as the midterm elections. ## What the coverage left out None of the left, centre, or right-rated reports mention the claim made by CTV News that the US President Donald Trump's administration had been critical of how the OSCE handles its mission and had urged the OSCE to downsize its budget. ## Who covered it Shares of the 8 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 50% (4) - Centre: 37% (3) - Right: 13% (1) 7 of 15 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-23T16:15:19.755773+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-23T16:30:36.134Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports led on the fact that the OSCE has not been invited to the US midterm elections, a first since 2002. They highlighted the OSCE's statement that this decision represents a "significant departure from an established democratic practice" and is "not in line with the commitments undertaken by all OSCE participating states." Svt Nyheter included a quote from Pere Joan Pons stating, “As chairman of an assembly committed to dialogue, I deeply regret the decision made by the United States not to invite the OSCE to witness its 2026 midterm elections.” La Presse reported that OSCE observers "deplored" not being invited, calling it a "significant distance from a well-established democratic practice." ### Centre - The centre-rated reports focused on the OSCE's announcement that it had not been invited to observe US federal elections for the first time. Stern.de reported the organisation called Washington's decision a "clear departure from a tried and tested democratic practice" and stated it is "not in line with the obligations of the OSCE member states." CTV News reported that the OSCE called the unprecedented decision "regrettable" and noted that the US is a member of the OSCE. ### Right - The right-rated report from Göteborgs-Posten led with the headline "US Snubs Election Observers," stating that the OSCE had not received an invitation to monitor the US midterm elections. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 6 - unknown: 7 - veryHigh: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [CTV News](https://ctvnews.ca/world/article/europe-security-body-says-monitors-not-invited-to-us-elections-for-first-time) — Europe security body says monitors not invited to U.S. elections for first time - [yle](https://yle.fi/a/74-20247910) — OSCE: Observers Not Invited to US Elections for the First Time - [stern.de](https://stern.de/news/erstmals-keine-osze-beobachter-zu-wahlen-in-den-usa-eingeladen-38299016.html) — For the First Time, No OSCE Observers Have Been Invited to Elections in the US - [TA3.com](https://ta3.com/clanok/1073037/medzinarodni-pozorovatelia-tentoraz-pri-volbach-v-usa-nebudu-prvykrat-po-viac-ako-20-rokoch) — International Observers Will Not Be Present at the US Elections This Time. For the First Time in More than 20 Years - [Naftemporiki](https://naftemporiki.gr/kosmos/2165722/oase-gia-proti-fora-paratirites-den-prosklithikan-stis-amerikanikes-ekloges) — OSCE: For the First Time, Observers Were Not Invited to the US Elections - [Le Monde](https://lemonde.fr/international/article/2026/09/23/etats-unis-l-osce-regrette-que-ses-observateurs-ne-soient-pas-invites-aux-elections-pour-la-premiere-fois_6780929_3210.html) — United States: OSCE Regrets that Its Observers Are Not Invited to the Elections, for the First Time - [zdfheute.de](https://zdfheute.de/politik/ausland/kein-osze-wahlbeobachter-usa-zwischenwahlen-100.html) — US Interim Elections in the US: OSCE Observers Not Invited - [ORF.at News](https://orf.at/stories/3443038) — OSCE: No Invitation to US-Midterms - [Göteborgs-Posten](https://gp.se/nyheter/varlden/usa-nobbar-valobservatorer.c3920258-d887-5f14-a8b1-3c0212da4efc) — US Snubs Election Observers - [Dagens industri](https://di.se/nyheter/inga-observatorer-fran-osse-i-usa-s-mellanarsval) — No OSCE Observers in US Midterm Elections - [DR](https://dr.dk/nyheder/seneste/europaeiske-valgobservatoerer-ikke-inviteret-til-midtvejsvalget-i-usa) — European Election Observers Not Invited to US Midterm Elections - [SSS.fi](https://sss.fi/2026/09/etyjin-tarkkailijoita-ei-kutsuta-yhdysvaltojen-valivaaleihin) — OSCE Observers Not Invited to US Midterm Elections - [Hospodárske Noviny](https://hnonline.sk/svet/96303913-prvykrat-po-vyse-20-rokoch-pozorovatelia-obse-nedostali-pozvanie-na-novembrove-volby-do-americkeho-kongresu) — For the First Time in over 20 Years, OSCE Observers Were Not Invited to the November US Congressional Elections. - [svt Nyheter](https://svt.se/nyheter/utrikes/usa-nekar-valobservatorer-under-mellanarsvalet) — US Denies Election Observers During Midterm Elections - [La Presse](https://lapresse.ca/international/2026-09-23/pas-d-observateurs-de-l-osce-aux-elections-americaines-une-premiere.php) — No OSCE Observers in the US Elections, a First ## Questions **Why are OSCE observers not invited to the US elections?** The OSCE announced that it has not been invited to observe the US midterm elections in November 2026. The organisation stated that this decision is not in line with the commitments undertaken by all OSCE participating states. The president of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly described the decision as a "significant departure from an established democratic practice." **When was the last time OSCE observers were not invited to US elections?** The OSCE has not been invited to observe US federal elections for the first time since 2002. Since then, the organisation has observed 12 federal elections in the United States, including six midterm elections. **What is the OSCE?** The OSCE, or Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, is a Vienna-based organisation founded in 1975. It has 57 member states from Europe, central Asia, and North America and focuses on security, political, economic, and environmental cooperation, as well as election observation. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/osce-monitors-not-invited-to-us-elections-for-first-time-since-2002. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "OSCE monitors not invited to US elections for first time since 2002", https://mediabias.news/politics/osce-monitors-not-invited-to-us-elections-for-first-time-since-2002