Many EMBs fail to discharge their mandate in line with accepted regional or international obligations. While there are no comprehensive data on the reasons for EMB failure, studies of individual EMBs have noted a number of internal causes, including:

1. lack of stakeholder confidence in the EMB;
2. government and/or political influence on EMB decisions;
3. a partisan approach by the EMB or its members;
4. a lack of EMB professionalism, or a loss over time of certain critical skills; and
5. EMB incompetence or financial impropriety.

In other cases, the reasons for an EMB’s failure are outside its control, for example, having to implement an electoral system that produces results that are not acceptable to major stakeholders, as in Lesotho in the 1990s. Alternatively, there may be deficiencies in the legal framework. In Papua New Guinea since 2002, the extensive shortcomings of the electoral process have mainly been due to the broader political environment, in particular a culture of impunity in relation to electoral offences.

Except where the entire political system is failing, electoral reform — of the EMB itself and/or of the broader electoral framework — may be able to save future electoral processes from failure. Notable examples of this are Mexico and South Africa in the 1990s.