It is common for electoral legal frameworks to make EMBs responsible for certifying and announcing election results, and to prescribe a time period within which the results must be announced. This is the case, for example, in Armenia, Cambodia, Honduras, Poland and  South  Africa.  In  Niger  these  functions are given to the Constitutional Court, and in Cameroon and France to the Constitutional Council. In Denmark, the legislature is responsible for validating the results of national elections.

The chief justice of Zambia is the returning officer for the presidential election and is thus responsible for announcing its results. Following a recommendation of the National Technical Committee on Elections, the draft revised constitution released for discussion in April 2012 makes the chair of the Election Commission the returning officer for the presidential election.