Methods of making EMB decisions vary according to the Model of EMB, a country’s decision-making culture, and the requirements of electoral law.

In Governmental Model EMBs, where EMBs rarely have ‘members’ and administration may be directed from the executive branch of government, the EMB’s role may be as much one of proposing as determining action. Powers to determine policy and administrative issues may be delegated to the chief of the EMB secretariat by the government institution within which it is located.

For Independent EMBs and the independent component of Mixed Model EMBs, electoral law may specify some decision-making issues, such as election of the chair, decision making powers of the EMB chair and/or EMB members meeting in plenary, requirements for majority or super majority votes, role of the chair in voting, and use of casting votes.

While some key decision-making issues may be covered by the electoral law, it is usual for the detail of the EMB’s decision-making processes to be defined in standing orders or administrative procedures determined by the members of the EMB. Such documents may define a range of issues, including EMB member authorities, such as:

• the role of the chair;
• responsibilities for decision making and abilities to delegate these;
• methods of calling EMB meetings;
• frequency of meetings;
• responsibility for meeting agendas, processes of decision-making – proposals, rules of discussion, and types of voting and/or requirements for consensus;
• attendance at meetings and quorums; rights and roles of secretariat staff at meetings;
• invitations to outsiders to attend EMB meetings;
• taking, authenticating, and issuing meeting minutes; method of issuing EMB policies and directions;
• methods of suspending or altering the standing orders; and
• responsibilities for media conferences.

In many instances, a quorum is formed by 50 per cent of the members, and decisions are taken by simple majority of the EMB members present. However, in some cases, EMB decisions must be taken by consensus; or members present during a meeting may not be allowed to abstain from voting; or a member with a dissenting opinion on a matter may not be able to prevent the execution of the majority decision.