Team of international observers says it saw no evidence of systematic fraud in U.S. elections

A team of 28 international observers from the Organization of American States (OAS) issued a preliminary report in which it praised last week’s elections while criticizing baseless allegations of systematic fraud, the Wall Street Journal reports,

Driving the news: The OAS team, invited by the Trump administration, was deployed in battleground states and says it did not witness any irregularities that would suggest an intervention in the elections. It also notes that attempts to "stop the count," in battleground states "were clear examples of intimidation of electoral officials.”

• President Trump is refusing to concede the race to President-elect Joe Biden, and he continues to make baseless claims about widespread voter fraud.
• "It is critical however, that candidates act responsibly by presenting and arguing legitimate claims before the courts, not unsubstantiated or harmful speculation in the public media," the report said.

Details: The team of observers monitored the election from Oct. 23 to Nov. 7.

• “On Election Day, the members of the Mission were present at polling places in Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan and the District of Columbia, and observed the process from the opening of the polling centers through to the close of polls and the deposit of voting materials with the appropriate local authorities,'' the report said.
• "Members of the Mission also visited tabulations centers to observe the tallying of result. In the jurisdictions that it observed, the Mission found that the day progressed in a peaceful manner.”