As the United States approaches the 2026 midterm elections, efforts to enhance election transparency through nonpartisan observation have intensified amid heightened concerns about election integrity. The Carter Center Democracy Program, known for its international election monitoring in over 70 countries, is expanding its domestic observation initiatives, aiming to provide objective assessments of voting procedures in key states.

Veteran election observer Terry Hoverter, who has monitored elections globally in countries including Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Armenia, is among the volunteers training American observers. Hoverter, who never anticipated conducting observation work in the U.S., cited the current political climate and ongoing divisions as motivating factors for applying his expertise domestically. This November, control of both chambers of Congress hangs in the balance, with significant implications for the remaining years of President Donald Trump’s administration.

The Carter Center is focusing its observation efforts in Georgia, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, and New Mexico—states chosen based on factors such as election laws permitting observers, political and demographic diversity, and voting methods, including mail-in ballots. Observers will monitor various aspects of the electoral process, from early voting and ballot processing to vote tabulation and accuracy testing, though the specific access varies by state. In Montana and New Mexico, the initiative includes examining voting experiences among Native American populations.

Unlike many countries that routinely open their elections to international and nonpartisan scrutiny, election observation has historically been rare in the U.S., where partisan poll watchers typically predominate. The Carter Center views its role as filling a gap by offering nonpartisan observation to improve public understanding and confidence in the electoral process. Avery Davis-Roberts, director of the Carter Center Democracy Program, highlighted that the 2020 election disruptions and persistent unsubstantiated claims about election security, particularly following the January 6, 2021, Capitol attack, underscored the importance of these efforts.

Simultaneously, the U.S. government has not invited foreign-based election observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) for the first time in decades. The U.S. had been a founding member of the OSCE and previously extended invitations for international observation under past administrations, including during President Trump’s first term. The OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights expressed regret over the absence of an invitation, emphasizing that election observation offers independent, objective evaluations rather than judgments. White House officials responded by affirming that American elections would be administered and observed by American citizens alone, citing U.S. leadership in advancing human freedom and representative government.

Locally, initiatives such as the Montana Election Observation Initiative, co-led by Nicole Rowsell and partnering with the University of Montana’s Mansfield Center and the Carter Center, are mobilizing citizens to observe elections firsthand. Rowsell, with two decades of international election experience, returned to the U.S. driven by a sense of civic responsibility. She is training hundreds of Montanans to observe before, during, and after Election Day, aiming to demystify the electoral process for communities and foster greater public engagement.

With election administration governed primarily at the state level, rules on observation vary significantly, influencing where and how nonpartisan monitors can participate. The upcoming midterms represent a critical juncture as organizations like the Carter Center seek to provide transparent, fact-based insights into the integrity and fairness of American elections amid ongoing political tension.