Stakeholder accountability can be seen as an umbrella under which the EMB has both informal and formal accountability to the public in general and to specific stakeholders in particular.

EMB accountability primarily has three forms:

1. consultation and communication (informal accountability) through regular contact with primary stakeholders, transparent working methods, regular reporting procedures;
2. performance accountability (formal) through the submission of activity reports on an annual basis, or after every major electoral event, and performance audits and evaluations, to the legislature or the government, and other stakeholders; and
3. financial accountability (formal), which entails the submission of financial statements and audits to, among others, the legislature or the government, to explain how the funds allocated to the EMB have been used.

Regular consultation with its stakeholders promotes awareness about the EMB’s operations, and allows stakeholders to directly advise the EMB of their assessments of its performance and suggest potential improvements. These consultations could be regular or event-driven, mandatory or voluntary, structured or informal.

Formal and ‘informal’ accountability are both necessary, complementary measures. In tandem, they ensure that an EMB can be accountable to its stakeholders for legal compliance, financial probity, operational integrity, and effective customer-focused activity.

One relatively low-cost, general way in which the EMB can foster awareness among its stakeholders of its activities and build their loyalty is through a sustained effort of promoting open communication such as annual reports, election reports, financial reports, and newsletters with all stakeholders, and regularly organising dialogues. This could be by sharing its publications information meetings where stakeholders are invited.