Washington, DC—Electoral experts from 14 countries will arrive in the United States this week to begin an unprecedented international monitoring of the U.S. elections. The 20-person team consists of distinguished pro-democracy advocates who have spent much of their lives creating and improving electoral systems in their home countries. The electoral observers will spend two weeks in the U.S. investigating controversies that appear to be undermining public faith in the U.S. political process.

The goal of the independent, non-governmental international monitoring of the U.S. elections is to boost voter confidence and participation in this year's elections. Experience in dozens of countries around the world has shown that the presence of outside observers can make a valuable contribution toward building trust in democratic processes and helping ensure fair elections.

The non-partisan international monitoring of the U.S. elections is occurring in two phases. The September pre-electoral delegation is investigating a range of issues and then, in October, will release a report detailing its findings and offering recommendations, if any, for reform. A second team will be in the U.S. in the days surrounding the November 2 election. The election monitors are coming to the U.S. at the invitation of Fair Election International, a project of the human rights group Global Exchange, which has conducted election monitoring in 10 countries around the world.

The pre-electoral fact-finding team will spend four days in Washington, DC meeting with government officials, policy analysts, advocacy organizations, and academics to get an overview of electoral controversies in the U.S. The delegation will then split into five groups to conduct further investigations in Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Missouri, and Ohio. In those states the monitors will meet with secretaries of state, hear from county voting registrars, talk with community organizations, observe voter registration drives, and hold town hall meetings to get a full picture of American democracy.

The 20 election monitors come from a range of professional and political backgrounds. All are well known and highly regarded within their own countries. The monitoring team includes, among others:

• Argentine Horacio Boneo, who has been involved in electoral assistance and observation in more than 60 countries;

• Australian John Cameron, an attorney who has struggled to ensure full rights for his country's Aboriginal population;

• Briton Caerwyn Dwyfor James, a county election official in Wales who has done election monitoring in 10 countries, including supervising Cambodia's first free elections;

• Canadian David MacDonald, a former Conservative Party MP who also served as his country's Minister of Communications;

• India journalist Neerja Chowdhury, the Political Affairs Editor for the New Indian Express;

• Filipino Damaso Guerrero Magbual, who heads the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections, the oldest election monitoring group in Asia; and

• South African Dr. Brigalia Bam, Chairwoman of the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa.

In the spirit of open inquiry, the monitors are welcome to investigate any issue that attracts their attention. At the same time, U.S. organizers of the monitoring effort are highlighting three subjects that feed controversy about the integrity of the upcoming elections:

• Evidence that minority and poor voters are disproportionately disenfranchised;

• Deep disagreements over the security of millions of votes recorded on computer voting machines; and

• Concerns about the consequences of corporate and personal wealth in political contests.

"The goal of this historical election monitoring is plain and simple—to bolster public confidence in our democracy," says Ted Lewis, director of the Fair Election project at the human rights group Global Exchange. "Our experience monitoring elections in countries around the world has shown that the presence of independent, non-governmental observers boosts public faith in electoral outcomes. Our invitees have distinguished themselves in struggles for democracy around the world, and they are coming here to help us at a time when mistrust and political polarization are eroding civic bonds."

To arrange an interview with any of the election monitors or to set up a time to shadow them during their investigations, please contact Shonna Carter at 212-260-5000.

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