A Conversation with Ambassador Urszula Gacek, the OSCE Head of Mission on U.S. Elections
On Thursday, November 12th, ISD joined the Institute of Politics and Public Service to host a conversation with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Head of Mission on US Elections, Ambassador Urszula Gacek.
The OSCE is committed to observing U.S. elections for fairness and accuracy, and the Director for The Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, Ambassador Barbara Bodine, along with Executive Director of the Institute of Politics, Mo Elleithee, moderated this discussion about the 2020 Election.
Ambassador Gacek talked about the exceptional nature of this election for the OSCE due to increased media coverage and overall level of interest in their analysis. She reported that the OSCE found the counting of the ballots to be well-managed despite legal and logistical uncertainties. Additionally, the measures taken to increase voting accessibility during the COVID-19 pandemic allowed high participation in this election.
The OSCE does not have the mandate to report on the broader political climate, but Ambassador Gacek talked discussed how the rhetoric influenced the trust in the democratic process. “We have seen Democrats were more willing to cast postal ballots although in the past, Republicans were probably using them more than Democrats. But the important thing is and the most important take away is that the rhetoric is undermining trust,” she said. She also pointed to the differences in state policies as something that to examine for future elections and how these policies influence voting practices.
Ambassador Gacek ended with a call to action, especially for the students listening, to get involved in politics as an election observer. “It is a fascinating area, we have experts in legal, politics, media, in new technology, cyber security … So, what I can say is become an election observer.”