The U.S. is history's most vibrant democracy.
We shouldn't threaten observers from the mostly-democratic 56-nations of the OSCE. Simply ban any from the few non-democratic OSCE states (e.g. Russia, Belarus) or those from nations that don't allow U.S. observers in their elections.
Otherwise, let our system serve as a shining example for the world to see.
And if they criticize, so be it, they'd do so incredulously.
But we shouldn't risk losing our moral standing when we later demand international observers for elections in countries with authoritarian regimes or where democracy is at risk.
From The Hill:
Texas sparks international row with election observers
Texas authorities have threatened to arrest international election observers, prompting a furious response from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
“The threat of criminal sanctions against [international] observers is unacceptable,” Janez Lenarčič, the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), said in a statement. “The United States, like all countries in the OSCE, has an obligation to invite ODIHR observers to observe its elections.”
Lawmakers from the group of 56 European and Central Asian nations have been observing U.S. elections since 2002, without incident.
