An international human rights group said Thursday its observers for this year's US election found access to polling stations difficult in Florida and Ohio.
"One of the surprising things we learned is that most voting jurisdictions have no mechanisms for nonpartisan polling observation," said former Canadian Cabinet minister David MacDonald. "A system needs to be put in place that allows for international and domestic nonpartisan poll observation."
The observers, organized by Global Exchange, an international human rights organization, made an initial US visit last month, and will return on Oct. 29 for the Nov. 2 vote in Missouri, Ohio and Florida, the group said in a statement.
"We would like to urge the remainder of the election boards that we have contacted to certainly seriously consider allowing the observers, because we do not see any harm except increased accountability and transparency," said Australian observer Irene Baghoomians.
Conservative groups have opposed access to polls for observers from Global Exchange, saying the group is anti-US and biased against President George W. Bush.
"Global Exchange is a very shady group of leftist agitators whose number-one goal is to stir anti-American hatred both at home and abroad," said Tom DeWeese, head of the conservative American Policy Center.
In Florida, only Leon county has consented to the presence of observers in polling places, the group said, while Miami-Dade, Fort Lauderdale and Broward counties have not responded.
In Missouri, Columbia and St. Louis counties gave a green light to the observers and will allow them to recount ballots.
However, in Ohio, the observers have been given permission to observe voting only in Cuyahoga county, near Cleveland, Baghoomians said.
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