The electoral calendar can be a tool for keeping the process on track as well as a source of integrity problems. The calendar may be set in the constitution or electoral legislation, or determined 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 therefore are easier to change if needed. Some countries (India, South Africa) have provisions for changing the electoral calendar in time of crisis, and for postponing elections as needed 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 and can require much more time.
Integrity Problems Arising from the Electoral Calendar
- Risk of excluding certain segments of the population
To ensure the 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. 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 the date is set for the 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 for reviewing nomination papers, or for candidates to respond to resulting questions.
Political parties need enough time to select their candidates. Candidates need enough time to file their nomination papers and prepare their electoral campaign. Candidates and parties need enough 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 safety and integrity measures.
Observation and monitoring groups may also be affected since they have to keep observers in place for a longer time. They may therefore decide to observe only part of the process, possibly 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 may have to drop out for lack of funds.
Last, a lengthy campaign may cause voter fatigue, which could lower turnout on election day.
Electoral Calendar as an Integrity Safeguard
- Gives legitimacy to power
The electoral calendar indicates to participants when they can complete various formalities. It sets when political parties can register, campaign and appoint monitors to observe the process. It also indicates when voters can register and vote. Time limits give legitimacy to power. 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 power
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 for election survey results to be announced.
NOTES
[1] National Democratic Institute for International Affairs, Cambodian Elections: Lessons Learned and Future Directions - Post-Election Conference Report, February 2004.
[2] Schedler, Andreas, Distrust Breeds Bureaucracy: The Formal Regulation of Electoral Governance in Mexico, Mexico City: Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO), 1999, p. 14.
