Electoral Calendar

The electoral calendar is an important tool for keeping elections on track, but can also be a source of integrity problems. The calendar may be set in the constitution or electoral legislation, or subject to further determination by the electoral management body. If dates are fixed by the legal framework, electoral administrators have little flexibility or discretion. Dates that are set by the electoral policy-making or management bodies are not mandated by legislation and easier to change if needed. Some countries (India, South Africa) have legislative provisions for changing the electoral calendar in time of crisis, including by postponing elections to ensure that they are free and fair.

How much time is needed to prepare for election day? It all depends on the particular circumstances of a country. In a democracy with a well-established electoral system, the physical preparations for an election are familiar and routine. For newer democracies, especially in developing countries and countries undergoing a transition, preparing for an election can be a major undertaking that requires much more time.

Integrity Problems from the Electoral Calendar

• Risk of excluding certain segments of the population

To ensure turnout of as many voters as possible, elections should be avoided at times of year that might exclude certain population segments. In countries where the climate is harsh, weather conditions are usually taken into account when setting the electoral calendar. Developing countries often need to take crop cycles into account. For example, the 2003 legislative elections in Cambodia were held during the rainy season, which may have prevented farmers tending to their crops from voting.[1]

If schools are used as polling stations, exam periods should be avoided. Dates of religious events, statutory holidays and vacation periods are other important times that should be avoided. If a date is set which has the effect or purpose of excluding certain population segments, election integrity may be compromised.

• Tight schedule

Good planning should allow enough time to launch and manage an election, and to perform each task properly. Integrity may be jeopardized if there is not enough time especially for reviewing nomination papers, such as where candidates are required to file “signature petitions” with a large number of voter names. In the 2000 Romanian national elections candidates for the presidency were required to submit hundreds of thousands of names.  After these petitions were submitted to the Central Election Bureau (BEC), the press saw them sitting unopened in a hallway, which caused a fuss.  So the BEC moved the unopened boxes into an office that could not be viewed by the public!

Political parties need enough time to select their candidates and candidates need enough time to file their nomination papers and prepare their election campaign. Candidates and parties need an adequate window of time to get their campaign message out to the voters.

• Lengthy calendar

A lengthy calendar increases operating, staffing and other costs of the electoral management body. Cash-strapped election management bodies may find that they have to cut back on their security and integrity measures. Observation and monitoring groups may also be affected by a lengthy calendar since they will have to keep observers in place for an extended time. They may therefore decide to observe only part of the process, potentially lowering the quality of observation reports.

Sustaining an electoral campaign over a longer time is more expensive and might limit the participation of certain candidates. In U.S. presidential elections, for example, money is a major factor in determining which candidates can stay in the race until election day. Serious candidates often drop out due to lack of funds. A lengthy campaign may cause voter fatigue, which could lower turnout on election day.

Electoral Calendar as an Integrity Safeguard

• Legitimizes directives

The electoral calendar informs participants when they must complete various formalities. It sets the dates when political parties can register candidates, campaign and accredit monitors to observe the process. It also indicates on what days and times voters can register and vote. If the political parties, candidates or citizens do not exercise their rights within the legally prescribed time frame, they are responsible for loss of those rights. [2]

• Limits discretion

The electoral calendar limits power by allowing certain events to be held on specific dates only. The calendar sets deadlines for certain actions to be taken by electoral administrators, political parties and candidates. The dates set for certain events are used as milestones to verify electoral operations and the conduct of campaigns. Participants must act within certain time limits and can be held accountable. For example, the law may impose deadlines for parties to nominate candidates, for campaign financing information to be disclosed or when election public survey results can be announced.