To ensure a free and fair process, and for administrators and participants to be held accountable for their actions, the legal and institutional frameworks require monitoring (see Monitors of Election Integrity) and enforcement (see Enforcement of Election Integrity).
Continuous monitoring of the process, by internal and external control mechanisms (see Election Management, Official Oversight, Political Party Monitors, National Election Observation and International Election Observation) can identify problems in the system, and the groups or individuals responsible.
Fraud and corruption can flourish in an atmosphere of impunity where laws are not enforced. The Bribe-Payers Survey by Transparency International found that 63% of respondents felt immunity of public officials was one of the main factors in the increase in corruption. 72
To maintain integrity, problems identified through monitoring need to be dealt with by the respective authorities. Inappropriate procedures or actions can be changed. Criminal violations can be dealt with by the legal system, with appropriate sanctions for those responsible.
Without enforcement, the best procedures, systems and integrity mechanisms can be bypassed, ignored or selectively applied. Effective and timely enforcement helps ensure accountability and serves as a deterrent to future problems and illegal actions.
