Electoral Management

Topic IndexChapter Summary

Electoral reforms are changes targeted at improving implementation of the guiding principles of electoral administration described in Chapter 1.
Electoral reforms may be directed at the electoral legal framework — including the EMB — the administrative and technical processes of electoral management, or the political context for electoral activities.
No aspect of electoral frameworks, systems, institutions, planning, management or operations is immune from reform or modernization. EMBs need to have a clear strategy for developing or responding to and implementing electoral reforms.
EMBs have vital roles as advocates of electoral reforms in general, as implementers of institutional reforms, and as initiators and implementers of administrative reforms, including technical reforms.
Electoral reform needs to be carefully managed to ensure that it fulfills its purpose without confusing electors and with minimal disruption to electoral administration.

Who Organizes Elections?

What is an Electoral Management Body (EMB)?

The Independent Model of Electoral Management

The Governmental Model of Electoral Management

The Mixed Model of Electoral Management

What Can Be Expected of EMBs under the Different Electoral Management Models?

EMBs' Attributes under the Three Broad Models of Electoral Management

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Three Different Electoral Management Models

Permanent and Temporary EMBs

Centralized or Decentralized EMBs

EMBs in Federal Countries

Transitional International EMBs and National EMBs

Representation of the EMB before Cabinet and the Legislature

Some Guiding Principles for All EMBs

Chapter Summary

The Legal Framework: The Context for an EMB’s Role and Powers

International and Regional Treaties and Agreements

The Constitution

Electoral Laws: Acts and Ordinances

EMB Rules, Regulations and Proclamations

Chapter Summary

The Composition, Roles and Functioning of an EMB

EMB Membership

Status of EMB Members

The EMB Chair: A Special Role?

EMB Members: Respected Experts or Watchdogs on Each Other?

Multiparty-based EMBs

Expert-based EMBs

EMBs with Both Expert and Multiparty Membership

Advantages and Disadvantages of Multiparty, Expert and Combined EMBs

Full-time or Part-time EMB Members?

How Many EMB Members?

Term of Office of Members of Permanent EMBs

Recruitment and Appointment of EMB Members

Recruitment Through Open Advertisement

Appointment of EMB members

Qualifications for Appointment

Conditions of Service and Security of Tenure for EMB Members

Oath/pledge-taking or Affirmation

Internal Regulations

EMB Decision-Making Processes

Meetings of EMB Members

Closed or Open EMB Meetings

EMB Member Committees

EMB Members Relationships With The EMB Secretariat

Chapter Summary

The Powers, Functions and Responsibilities of an EMB

EMB Powers and Functions

Extent of Powers, Functions and Responsibilities

Direct Democracy Instruments

Functional Divisions between Electoral Institutions

Voter Registration

Boundary Delimitation

Registration and Funding of Political Parties

Election Campaigns

Voter Education and Information

Validation of Election Results

Electoral Observation

International Activities

Electoral Dispute Resolution

EMB Responsibilities as a Public Organisation

Avoidance of Conflicts of Interest

EMB Responsibilites to Promote Democracy and Equity

Planning and Implementing EMB Activities

The EMB Secretariat and the Public Service

Structuring the Secretariat

Organizational Structure Charts

How to Develop an Organizational Chart

Model Secretariat Structures

Strategic Planning

Operational Planning

The Electoral Calendar

Chapter Summary

The Development of Professional Electoral Management

Staffing of EMBs

Permanent and Temporary Staff

Employment Conditions: EMB-Specific or Public Service Staff

Staff Pensions

Career Patterns of Professional Electoral Officers

Procedures for Recruitment of EMB Staff

Staff Training and Development

Procedures for the Appointment of EMB Secretariat Staff

EMB Organizational and Staff Development for Permanent Staff

Using International Experience

Mentoring

Education and Development Courses for EMB Staff

Operational Training

Training Materials

Factors that May Inhibit EMB Professionalism

Chapter Summary

The Financing of EMBs

What Electoral Costs Need to be Financed?

Who Finances EMBs and How?

Donor Funding

Other Sources of EMB Funding

Budget Formulation Methods for EMBs

Budget Formulation and Approval Process

Availability of Budget Funds

Control of EMB Funding

EMB Procurement Policies and Procedures

EMB Financial Control Measures

Asset Management

Records Management

Principles of EMB Financial Management

Chapter Summary

EMB Stakeholder Relationships

Political Parties and Candidates

EMB Staff

The Executive Branch

The Legislature

Electoral Dispute Resolution Bodies

Judicial Bodies

Election Monitors/Certiﬁcation Teams and Citizen and International Election Observers

Traditional Media

Social media

The Electorate

Civil Society Organizations

The Donor Community and Electoral Assistance Agencies

Secondary Stakeholders

Maintaining Relationships With Stakeholders

How To Deal With Difficult Stakeholders

Chapter Summary

Electoral Technology

Types and Main Features of Elections Technology

Selected ICT Concepts with Impact on Elections Technology

Election Technology Vendors

Voter Education and Public Information

Training and Expertise

Administrative and Operational Objectives

Issues of Electronic Voter Registration

A Brief Background of Electronic Voting and Vote-counting Systems

Chapter Summary

Assessing EMB Performance

Principles and Best Practices for EMB Accountability

Stakeholder Accountability

Consultation and Communication

Performance Accountability

Internal Performance Accountability

External Performance Accountability

Financial Accountability

Internal Financial Accountability

External Financial Accountability

Accountability for the Use of Technology-based Systems

EMB Assessment Mechanisms

Internal Quality Controls

Auditing EMBs

Performance Audits

Methodology and Scope of a Performance Audit

Performance Audit Outputs

Financial Audits

Programme Evaluation by EMBs

Post-election Reviews

Peer Reviews

External Oversight Issues

Chapter Summary

EMB Sustainability

Why Is EMB Sustainability Important?

Needs Assessment

Electoral Sustainability and Donor Support

Practices Favouring Sustainability

Staffing for Sustainability

Office Systems

Electoral Materials

Structural and Technological Sustainability Implications

Automated Voting and Counting Processes

Chapter Summary

EMB Networks

National Electoral Networks

Regional EMB Networks

Global Electoral Networks

Electoral Support Networks

Chapter Summary

Reforming Electoral Processes

Failing EMBs

The EMB’s Role in Electoral Reforms

The Scope of Electoral Reform

Managing Electoral Change

Risks Associated with Electoral Reform

The Case of South Africa

World Survey: EMBs in 217 Countries and Territories

Case Studies

Afghanistan: An Electoral Management Body Struggles to Deal with Executive Interference

Armenia: Electoral Administration in South Caucasus

Bosnia and Herzegovina: The Challenges of an Independent EMB Model

Cambodia: Lack of Confidence in the National Election Committee

Canada: Stability, Independence and Public Trust

Costa Rica: The Supreme Tribunal of Elections

Haiti: a Crisis of Credibility

Kenya: The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission

Liberia: The National Elections Commission

Mexico: A Sophisticated Scheme for Addressing a Serious Distrust Issue

Nigeria: Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)

Norway: Governmental, Decentralized and Trusted

Senegal: Sub-Saharan Multiparty Elections

Seychelles: A New Electoral Commission

South Korea: An Independent and Neutral Electoral Management Body

Sweden: Governmental in Form, Independent in Practice: A Decentralized Election Management System

Timor-Leste: Election Administration

Tonga: A New Commission in a Small Island State

The United Kingdom: Electoral Governance in Transition?

The United States Administration of Elections: Decentralized, Pre-modern and Contented

Tunisia: The Independent High Authority for the Elections

Fiji: A New System Under Pressure

Republic of Georgia: A Commission in Tranistion

India: The Embodiment of EMB Independence

Iraq: International Institution Design

Japan: Mixed Model Electoral Management for a Mixed Parallel Electoral System

Lesotho: Building a Reputation

Spain: Mixed Model Electoral Management Becomes Well Established

Mozambique: A Need for Depoliticization

Ukraine: The Long Road to Politically Independent Election Administration

Uruguay: The Electoral Court - A Fourth Branch of Government?

Vanuatu: Limitations to the Independence of the EMB

Yemen: An Emerging Independent EMB

Zimbabwe: A New Era in Election Management

Using Performance Benchmark Standards to Improve Electoral Management

Reproduced by permission of International IDEA from Electoral Management Design: The International IDEA Handbook © 2014 International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance The electronic version of this publication is made available under a Creative Commons Attribute-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) licence. You are free to copy, distribute and transmit the publication, and to remix and adapt it, provided it is only for non-commercial purposes, that you appropriately attribute the publication and that you distribute it under an identical license. For more information on this licence see: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0 .