Five Luxembourg MPs are on the ground in the United States this week as part of the OSCE mission observing the presidential election between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump.
As members of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the MPs are monitoring the process for any voting irregularities.
Gilles Baum, Emile Eicher, Gusty Graas, Claude Haagen, and Alexandra Schoos make up the Luxembourg delegation, with Baum serving as the regional coordinator for California. While Baum, Eicher, Graas, and Haagen are based in Los Angeles, Schoos is stationed in Las Vegas.
Baum outlined their work, explaining: “We’ll visit 14 polling stations, ensuring people can enter freely, that ballot boxes are sealed, and that election processes are free of interference. We’ll also speak with poll managers and track voter turnout.” He noted that with an estimated 160 million Americans already having voted, long lines are not expected on election day.
With California expected to vote Democratic, OSCE observers anticipate favourable conditions for their work. Baum added that conditions could differ in highly contested swing states, where heightened tensions could lead to protests if Trump does not win.
The OSCE normally observes elections throughout its 57 participating members, who are spread across Europe, North America and Asia – with further partners in other continents.
