Carter Center Withdraws from Brazil Election Observation Due to Funding Shortage

The Carter Center has informed the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) that it will not send an observation mission to monitor Brazil's upcoming October elections. This decision leaves the contest without the only invited American organization. The center, founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter, previously sent four specialists to Brazil for two months during the 2022 elections.

The organization cited a lack of resources as the primary reason for its withdrawal. CEO Paige Alexander stated that nearly 10% of the organization's funding evaporated due to cuts in international aid under the Trump administration. Reports from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution estimate these losses at approximately 11 million U.S. dollars. Additionally, the European Union is organizing its own mission to Brazil for the first time. Because the Carter Center receives funding from European governments, some of those donors chose to redirect their resources to the EU mission instead.

Despite the absence of the Carter Center, other international observers are expected. The Organization of American States (OAS) and the European Union are the primary confirmed observers. The Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) and the Inter-American Union of Electoral Organizations (Uniore) also intend to send missions. The African Union, the Arab League, and Parlasul have been invited but have not yet confirmed. The TSE chose not to invite the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (Ifes), another U.S. organization, because of its high dependency on Usaid funding.

Center-leaning coverage emphasizes that the TSE sought international observers to shield the process from potential external attacks on the credibility of electronic voting machines, citing reports of Trump administration plans to cast doubt on the process. Center-right coverage focuses more on the Carter Center's previous critiques, noting that the organization's 2022 report raised concerns about the legal framework for combating disinformation and the balance between moderation and freedom of expression.