An EMB neither operates in a vacuum nor is it an island unto itself. There is a myriad of stakeholders, constituents, or ‘publics’ whose legitimate concerns and interests the EMB should strive to accommodate and keep on board when deciding policies and practices. Unless the EMB works hard to create and sustain sound relations with those stakeholders, misunderstandings and suspicions will arise, and this will ultimately generate lack of public confidence and trust in the electoral process in general and in the EMB in particular.

Although stakeholder management is critical to the success of the EMB, this subject is rarely taught, learned, or understood in EMB circles.

Like in the business world where companies are required to invest in customer satisfaction in order to attract more customers and thereby enhance their profitability, the EMB should, as they say in business parlance, ‘know its audience’ so that its services and goods are tailored and responsive to the requirements of its customers (stakeholders). This helps to develop customer confidence in the EMB and also generates support and goodwill towards EMB policies and practices which in turn enhances the EMB credibility.

Put differently, there is a correlation between stakeholder support and loyalty and the EMB credibility: the lesser the stakeholders’ support and loyalty towards the EMB, the lesser the EMB’s credibility. For example, an EMB may organise an election which, technically speaking, may be clean and flawless, but if stakeholders are not involved and kept in the loop about the process, their suspicion and distrust may lead to a rejection of the election outcome. Against this background, it is important that the EMB foster transparency and a participative approach which involves stakeholders in the way it administers the whole electoral process.