The cost of maintaining and protecting the integrity of elections depends on the electoral approaches used and the extent of safeguards required. The implementation of integrity safeguards should be weighed against the potential risks to integrity at each stage of the electoral process. The risk of elections lacking integrity is that they might not be viewed as credible by parts of the population, or their results as illegitimate. These effects are particularly pronounced when there are security threats or large scale irregularities have become apparent. Aside from the political implications, having to organize repeat elections due to integrity issues can cost far more preventing them in the first place.
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Electoral administrators and policy makers should determine whether it is worth the cost to adopt each of the mechanisms they are considering. They should ask themselves the question: How will the integrity of the electoral process be affected if this measure is not applied?
Their assessment will differ according to the social and political context of the country concerned. In electoral systems characterized by high levels of distrust, extensive safeguards may be justified to reassure participants. Although the safeguards may involve high costs, the extra expense can be justified if the result is a credible election, the results of which are widely accepted. On the other hand, in established electoral systems where electoral procedures are routine and largely undisputed, the benefits of additional safeguards might not justify the additional cost.
Some integrity mechanisms may not require major outlays. For example, for effective planning and the development of good systems, all that is necessary is to make proper use of the time and skills of electoral and other professionals. The same is true for the internal control mechanisms that are part of any electoral management system.
Ensuring transparency and holding electoral administrators and election officers accountable for their actions are integrity safeguards that do not have a price per se. Institutional protections, including checks-and-balances, are also crucial in maintaining integrity, and do not involve additional operational expenses.
However, many election integrity safeguards are more expensive than these and therefore require cost-benefit analysis. What is the likelihood that the problem will actually occur and how would it affect the integrity of the election? How effective is the safeguard? Will it increase confidence in the integrity of the process? Will it increase the credibility of the process? Is it affordable to adopt and maintain over time? Are there more cost-effective ways of achieving the same result?
Suitable staff.
Personnel costs are the largest expense in election administration. However risks to integrity mount if staff numbers are or insufficient or staff lack proper skills and training.
Safeguards on electoral materials
Additional safeguards on electoral materials may also add to election costs. For example, it is more expensive to print serial numbers on ballot stubs, but they offer a simple and effective way of tracking ballots. Other mechanisms are more sophisticated but more expensive. It costs more to use watermarked security paper for ballots rather than ordinary paper, and such supplies have to be ordered further in advance.
New technology
Adoption of new technology can enhance integrity. Examples are: computerized voter registration lists and election-management systems including equipment/supply inventories with built-in checking and control mechanisms. However, new technology can sometimes create integrity risks; this could happen, for instance, if on-line voting is permitted.
New technology can also be expensive, and the investment in hardware and know-how may not be sustainable, particularly if the initial purchase depended on international support. Technology is most cost-effective when it is suited to local conditions.
Equipment and Staff Acquisition
Equipment can be leased instead of purchased, reducing the risk of obsolescence. Equipment from other organizations can be used; in the 1999 election in Indonesia, a bank’s computer network was used for vote counting. In these type of circumstances, the integrity issues involved in using an outside system and staff should also be considered.
Investigations and Enforcement
Monitoring and enforcing electoral law, procedures and regulations are key factors in maintaining integrity. Oversight, investigation, administrative and civil enforcement, and prosecution can be costly, but can be effective in combating electoral irregularities or violations, helping to ensure the integrity of the electoral process and assuring the public that problems are being effectively addressed.
Voter Education
Voter education is another important integrity mechanism. But when funds are low, public education is often one of the first programs to be dropped. Electoral administrators can find low-cost options for disseminating information, such as negotiating free broadcasting time on radio or television, holding regular press conferences, and relying on non-governmental organizations to help convey critical messages to voters.
