Common EMB Financing Issues
The funding of elections may appear to be costly, and has to compete with vital national services such as defense, health and education, which may yield greater immediate political returns. Inadequate or untimely funding of electoral processes may occur because governments are not able to appropriate sufficient funds or ensure the timely disbursement of approved funds.
EMB funding needs are dependent on the electoral cycle and will vary hugely between election and non-election years. Other significant factors include the range of functions and responsibilities, the model of electoral management used, the electoral procedures in place and the frequency of elections. EMBs have been regularly accused of procuring expensive goods and services, such as high- technology equipment, which is not put to effective use. Some EMBs have also been accused of printing more ballot materials and recruiting more election staff than necessary. The independence of some models of EMBs from the executive branch of government may lead to perceptions that they are not subject to the controls on spending that are applied to government agencies.
Many EMBs, such as those in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Haiti, Indonesia, Iraq and Liberia have relied on international donors for substantial amounts of budgetary support, as well as technical assistance. Apart from the sustainability issues raised (see Chapter 11), the conflicting conditions that different donor agencies impose on EMBs, combined with the requirements from their own governments, may make it difficult for them to account properly and within a reasonable time for their funding.
EMBs have had to deal with the question of whether and how to fund new technologies, particularly for voter registration, voting and vote counting, such as electronic voting. The increased emphasis on access issues — such as the provision of mobile polling stations, facilities for absentee voting (within or outside the country), facilities for voters with disabilities and multilingual electoral information — has also had financing implications. In many established democracies, government policies of slimming down public sectors have reduced the certainty of funding for EMBs, particularly for staff costs.
