Regular EMB member meetings help develop agreed policy directions, review EMB performance and provide guidance on policies to EMB secretariat staff. The level of detail considered will depend on the extent to which the role of implementing policy is delegated to the secretariat or chief election officer.
In many instances, a quorum consists of 50 per cent of the members; sometimes, as in Botswana, one of those must be the chair or their designated deputy. A number of decision rules apply. In many places, including Bhutan, Botswana and Latvia, a majority of those present can take a decision, which given a quota of half of the members means a decision can be made by a quarter of members. In Georgia, a decision is made by a majority vote of those at the meeting, as long as that also comprises a third of the total membership. In Guam and Saint Lucia, decisions need the agreement of half of all members, while in Bosnia and Herzegovina two-thirds of members need to agree, although if that does not occur on an issue at two successive meetings, then a majority of all members must approve the decision. In Georgia and Latvia, a member with a dissenting opinion on a matter has the right to put his or her views in writing and to attach them to the minutes; however, he or she cannot prevent the majority decision being executed. It is common for the minutes of EMB member meetings to be signed by both the chair and the secretary, and in some cases (especially in multiparty EMBs) by all members of the EMB, in order to authenticate them.
While full-time EMB members may be available daily to provide direction to EMB secretariat staff, part-time members are more likely to meet only occasionally to deliberate policies and activities that shape the EMB’s operations. Outside electoral periods, full-time EMBs may meet every week, while part-time EMBs usually meet less frequently, often monthly. During peak electoral event periods, more frequent meetings are usual; full-time EMBs may meet as often as daily.
