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Electoral Management Design Revised Edition Electoral Management Design Revised Edition Helena Catt Andrew Ellis Michael Maley Alan Wall Peter Wolf International IDEA’s resources on electoral processes Handbook Series The International IDEA Handbook Series seeks to present comparative analysis, information and insights on a range of democratic institutions and processes. Handbooks are aimed primarily at policymakers, politicians, civil society actors and practitioners in the field. They are also of interest to academia, the democracy assistance community and other bodies. © International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance 2014 International IDEA publications are independent of specific national or political interests. Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the views of International IDEA, its Board or its Council members. The map(s) presented in this publication does not imply on the part of the Institute any judgement on the legal status of any territory or the endorsement of such boundaries, nor does the placement or size of any country or territory reflect the political view of the Institute. The map is created for this publication in order to add clarity to the text. Applications for permission to reproduce or translate all or any part of this publication should be made to: International IDEA Strömsborg SE-103 34 Stockholm Sweden International IDEA encourages dissemination of its work and will promptly respond to requests for permission to reproduce or translate its publications. The electronic version of this publication is available under a Creative Commons Licence (CCl)—Creative Commons Attribute-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Licence. You are free to copy, distribute and transmit the publication as well as 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 CCl, see: <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/>. Graphic design by: Pernilla Ottenfelt Eliasson Cover Design by: Pernilla Ottenfelt Eliasson Cover illustration: © Jing Jing Tsong c/o theispot.com Printed by: Bulls Graphics, Sweden ISBN: 978-91-87729-66-9 Foreword The world entered the third millennium with 140 countries holding multi party elections, which represents a historic shift in the nature and profile of political participation. Since then, the democratic world has expanded further; new states have resulted from socio-political movements for individual freedom. Many of these new states are still struggling to establish viable democratic governance systems and structures to fulfil their citizens’ aspirations. Sustaining the process of democratization is more challenging in the least developed and developing countries, which face pervasive poverty, multi ethnic conflicts and social tensions between the powerful and powerless. Countries that are economically rich yet poor in other human development indicators are another difficult category to deal with. Many present-day democracies are called representative democracies, in which people elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf. In some, the electoral management system itself is under pressure, if not direct attack, and in need of immunity and insulation. Competitive elections, in addition to being expensive and wasteful, are increasingly being manipulated by political parties, propaganda machines and clever demagoguery; they need healthy, constructive debates on public policy. Election managers thus continuously face formidable challenges to keep the electoral system functional and provide a level playing field for everyone, and struggle to retain their autonomy and integrity. The larger issue is making democratic systems and processes work for all four principles: popular control, political equality, constitutional governance and individual freedom. This revised and updated publication is relevant in this context. If meticulously followed and intelligently implemented, its guiding principles can keep the electoral oversight and regulatory agencies in strategic fitness and failsafe condition against undue pressure and motivated interference. This publication focuses on how electoral management bodies (EMBs) can protect their autonomy, exercise management control, safeguard integrity, maintain transparency, ensure efficacy, and professionally implement rules and procedures while keeping the system voter friendly. From registering eligible voters to counting votes and declaring results, the pathways of election managers are full of risks that require competencies and high-order skills. I am sure that III EMBs and their staffs will find this document useful, and that it will help improve the professional and effective management of the complex electoral process. Dr. S.Y. Quraishi Former chief election commissioner, India IV Preface International IDEA´s vision is to be the primary global actor in sharing comparative knowledge and experience in support of democracy, and aims to make this knowledge and experience available to inspire national dialogue and catalyse political will. Electoral frameworks, including the choice of electoral system and the design of electoral administration, determine both the outcomes and the credibility of electoral processes and thereby trust in democracy. The development of professional electoral administration is not merely a technical and managerial issue, but a process that crucially engages political stakeholders who have their own interests and objectives. Its role in the overall development and strengthening of democracy cannot be overstated. This Handbook brings together a core global comparative knowledge base on the design, establishment, financing, training and assessment of electoral management bodies. The first edition was published in 2006 and has since formed the basis of training materials and online tools; it is one of International IDEA´s most popular knowledge resources and it has been translated into several languages. Much has happened since the publication of the first edition of this handbook. New electoral management bodies (EMBs) have been formed, old ones have been revised in response to allegations of fraud and corruption, the role of technology in elections is much more prevalent, the field of professional development for EMB members and staff has grown, and progress in the field of gender and elections has been made. It is therefore time to publish a revised edition, with the most relevant sections updated and expanded, current country-level data and several new case studies which will help highlight the diversity, creativity and innovations in the field of electoral management globally. The Handbook will be a valuable resource for everyone involved or interested in the strength and legitimacy of their electoral process. Yves Leterme Secretary-General International IDEA V Contents Foreword......................................................................................................................................... III Preface............................................................................................................................................ V Contents.......................................................................................................................................... VI Acronyms.and.Abbreviations..................................................................................................... XIV Introduction.................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1. Who Organizes Elections?...................................................................................... 5 What.Is.an.EMB?................................................................................................................... 5 Three.Models.of.Electoral.Management.......................................................................... 6 The Independent Model of Electoral Management............................................................ 7 The Governmental Model of Electoral Management.......................................................... 7 The Mixed Model of Electoral Management....................................................................... 8 What.Can.Be.Expected.of.EMBs.under.. the.Different.Electoral.Management.Models?................................................................ 10 EMBs Attributes under the Three Broad Models of Electoral Management..................... 12 Permanent.and.Temporary.EMBs...................................................................................... 12 Centralized.or.Decentralized.EMBs................................................................................... 17 EMBs.in.Federal.Countries.................................................................................................. 18 Transitional.International.EMBs.and.National.EMBs.................................................... 18 Representation.of.the.EMB.before.Cabinet.and.the.Legislature................................ 19 Some.Guiding.Principles.for.All.EMBs.............................................................................. 21 Independence........................................................................................................................ 21 Impartiality...........................................................................................................................
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