Jill Schramm/MDN Gunther Guggenberger, left, and Arild Stenberg, are both long-term observers with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights.

An international organization with a mission to examine the latest U.S. election cycle sent two observers to Minot this week.

Arild Stenberg, a native of the Stavanger area in Norway, and Gunther Guggenberger, from Austria, are long-term observers with the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, (ODIHR), a division of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

The ODIHR has 32 two-person teams in the United States, and Guggenberger and Stenberg have been assigned to North and South Dakota. They recently have traveled across the state to Fargo, Grand Forks, Bismarck and Minot to talk to election administrators, candidates, media and nongovernmental organizations.

Stenberg, who is retired, and Guggenberger, who has a background in political science, cultural studies and education, have performed similar observational functions in other countries. They both serve part-time with ODIHR. Guggenberger has been with the organization for 20 years and this is his second experience in the United States, having observed in Illinois and Wisconsin.

Information they gather will be provided to the organization’s researchers in Washington, D.C., who already have produced an interim report and will produce another report with preliminary findings the day after the election. A final report assessing the entire election process and containing recommendations will be published some months later.

“The reports are designed against the backdrop of certain international standards and standards the member countries have taken on,” Guggenberger said. “It’s not international law. It’s just an agreement.”

Countries are free to adopt or not adopt any recommendations.

Observers are in the country at the invitation of the U.S. representative to OSCE.

According to information from OSCE, the ODIHR carries out election observation in OSCE participating countries to assess the extent to which elections respect fundamental freedoms and are characterized by equality, universality, political pluralism, confidence, transparency and accountability. The ODIHR’s long-term, comprehensive, consistent and systematic election observation methodology has become the bedrock of its credibility in this field, according to OSCE, which has 57 participating countries.

The ODIHR has been producing election reports since 2003, Guggenberger said.

The ODIHR also supports authorities in their efforts to improve electoral processes and to follow up on recommendations from election observation missions, including reviewing election-related legislation, providing technical expertise and supporting the activities of citizen observer groups.

North Dakota’s absence of voter registration has been a unique feature encountered by the observers. Stenberg said voter registration is an important part of most election processes, although it can be hard to assess on an observational mission.

“That takes place a long time before we come. In some countries, this is really easy in areas where the incumbent president is strong, but very difficult in other parts of the country, where the president is not so strong,” he said.

“Election missions are, in a way, to care for democracy, to build it up and improve it and adjust it to the time we live in,” he added. “This is an important task because democracy all over the world is being threatened now.”

Guggenberger and Stenberg arrived in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 3 and will wrap up their work and return home on Nov. 10.