Electoral Management Design Database

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About this database

The Electoral Management Design Database focuses on the management of electoral processes by the electoral management bodies (EMBs). EMBs are the institutions and/or bodies responsible for managing elections. Many EMBs face basic design questions as they seek to work better: how should EMBs be structured to ensure that they can act independently? How do EMBs relate to the media, political parties, and donors? How can EMBs evaluate their performance and use experience to build sustainable elections?

The database and the Handbook on Electoral Management Design, helps answer these questions by providing information on exiting EMBs. Specific country or comparative data on models of electoral management or electoral management bodies can help stakeholders make informed decisions with regard to electoral management body design.

The database is for electoral administrators, electoral administration designers and other practitioners involved in building professional, sustainable and cost-effective electoral administrations, which can deliver legitimate and credible free and fair elections.

You can search the database by the region, the model of electoral management or the electoral management body. The electoral management body includes information about name of the EMB, number of members, terms of office, selected or appointed members, and whether membership is party or expert based. Based on a comparative study of the best practices in financing, structuring and evaluation of EMBs from around the world, the dataset aims to reduce the credibility gap faced by electoral institutions.

Background information

View our themes

Electoral Processes

Political Participation and Representation

Methodology

FAQ

Methodology

The initial data on the management of electoral processes was compiled for the Electoral Management Design: The International IDEA Handbook published in 2006 by International IDEA. A group of researchers conducted desk research to review the electoral legislation of countries around the world. To accomplish this, national legal documents were compiled from different sources, including the official web portals of governments, regional organizations that work in the area of democracy and electoral processes, and research institutes specialized in the area of elections and politics in general. In very few cases, when legal documents on elections-related issues were not available for some countries, the researchers contacted the national electoral management body (EMB) of those countries in order to obtain the necessary information. The collected data was then reviewed and on the basis of this analysis, informed decisions were made about the type of electoral management design of each country as well as other related information provided in the handbook.

The data gathered for Electoral Management Design: The International IDEA Handbook was later transferred to the International IDEA’s online Electoral Management Design Database. Since this data allocation, International IDEA has been conducting regular research to maintain the database. While updating the database, particular attention is given to the reforms of electoral legislation that affect the functioning of EMBs. Beginning from 2018, the data for every country in the database is revised following the cycle of parliamentary (lower house) as well as presidential elections.

We invite researchers and practitioners working in the area of elections to contribute to the update of Electoral Management Design Database. If users note that the database has missing data, or if they find data that is incorrect, missing sources or requires more explanation, they can use the online form in the “Submit feedback” section. We will review the submission as soon as possible and update the database if the data suggested is accurate.

Frequently asked questions

Who created the database?

The database was created by International IDEA using global survey of EMBs, by contracting regional/local consultants and also using desk research conducted by in house researchers. The community is encouraged to use the database and help us curate the database by suggesting improvements and updates to existing entries.

Where does the data come from?

Data comes from different sources, such as direct responses provided by EMB officials who filled out the survey questionnaire, electoral legislation, materials posted in the EMB website, reports produced by election observation mission reports, along with other reputable materials available online.

What should I do if I find missing or incorrect data?

If you note that the database has missing or incorrect data, or if you find missing sources or a need for more explanation, you can use the online form in the “Submit feedback” section. We will review the submission as soon as possible and update the database if the information submitted is accurate.

Can I get a complete export of all the data?

The database contains one core question, which is about the model of electoral management adopted by country, and six supplementary questions providing more detailed data for each EMB. All the data in the database can be exported only for the core question. Data for the supplementary questions cannot be downloaded. Since some countries have more than one EMB and supplementary questions are repeated for each EMB, the current template used for the database cannot handle the export of the supplementary questions.

All the data for the question “Model of electoral management” can be downloaded using two methods:

Option 1: In the “Search the database” section please click on the “Region/political entity” menu and select “World” option. Then click on the “Search” button. This will produce all the data for the question “Model of electoral management” in a table format. Data from this table can be exported into excel file by clicking on the “Export” button available at the top of the table.

Option 2: Click on the “Advanced Search” hyperlink provided below the “Search the database” section. You will be directed to a specific search interface where you can select the question “Model of electoral management” and countries to produce online table presenting all the data. Data from this table can be exported into excel file by clicking on the “Export” button available at the top of the table. In this search interface you can also limit your search to specific regions and/or countries.

Is there a codebook explaining the variables included in the database?

The codebook for the EMD Database is under development. When available, a link will be posted at the bottom of this page.

Glossary

Absentee voting	A mechanism by which voters are enabled to cast a vote which does not involve their attendance at a polling station on the day or days fixed for voting
Amalgamation of results	The incorporation of the votes into a unified result. Also known as tabulation.
Boundary delimitation	The process for determining the way in which constituency or electoral area boundaries are drawn; it deals with the division of a country into electoral districts and the allocation of electors to electoral districts and polling sites. Sometimes called districting or boundary demarcation
Budget (electoral)	A document containing an itemized summary of proposed electoral incomes and expenditures in relation to specified activities by a specified organization or part of an organization, for a defined future period
By-election	An election to fill a vacant seat in an elected assembly held at any time other than at a general election
Calendar (electoral)	A document containing a sequence of tasks and the dates and deadlines for their performance during the planning, implementation and completion of an electoral event
Campaign (electoral)	Political activity, including meetings, rallies, speeches, parades, broadcasts, debates and other media events designed to inform the electorate of or gather support for the platform of a particular candidate or political party in an election or to promote a choice available to voters in a direct democracy instrument
Candidate	A person who is nominated to contest an election either as a political party representative or independent of any political party's support
Candidate nomination	The process by which political parties/organizations and/or individual candidates submit their intention to compete in an election, often subject to meeting qualification criteria set out in the law
Centralized EMB	An organizational structure for an EMB, most often found in countries with unitary constitutions, in which the powers to conduct and implement all aspects of electoral processes at all levels are vested in the national-level EMB
Certification of results	The formal endorsement and confirmation of election results
Chair	The head of an independent EMB under the Independent or Mixed Model of electoral management. Formal titles may include chief electoral commissioner or EMB President
Chief electoral commissioner	See Chair
Chief electoral officer	A title that may be used for the head of an EMB secretariat. Other titles that may be used include chief executive officer, director of elections, secretary-general and EMB Secretary. Where the EMB is independent, the chief electoral officer can in some cases also be a member of the EMB
Civil registry	A centrally held master database containing information generated by the administrative infrastructure of a country involving the mandatory collection of information from many sources and containing information such as the name, gender, nationality, age, marital status and address of all citizens. Electoral registers and other documents may be drawn from it when required
Code of conduct	A set of general rules of behaviour, for example for members and/or staff of an EMB, or for political parties, with respect to participation in an electoral process
Combined EMB	An independent EMB under the Independent or Mixed Model of electoral management some of whose members are non-partisan experts and some of whose members represent political parties or interests. See Expert-based EMB and Multiparty-based EMB
Commissioner	A term used for a member of an electoral commission. Sometimes the term is limited to the EMB chair, and in rare cases the term is used inconsistently to refer to specific senior staff of the secretariat. See Member (of an EMB)
Constituency	A synonym for electoral district used predominantly in some Anglophone countries. See Electoral district
Decentralized EMB	A model of electoral administration in which the powers to conduct and implement different electoral processes and/or different aspects of electoral processes have been delegated by the EMB at national level to sub-national EMBs or sub-national branches of the national EMB
District	Used in this Handbook to mean Electoral district
Domestic observer	An individual or representative of an organization who is authorized and accredited to observe and assess the performance of the election process in her/his own country
Electoral administration	The measures necessary for conducting or implementing any aspect of an electoral process
Electoral administrator	A person who directs, manages and/or implements any of the operations of an EMB on a day-to-day basis
Electoral commission	A title often given to an independent EMB under the Independent Model or to the component independent EMB under the Mixed Model of electoral management
Electoral court	Court of justice or other body before which an electoral actor may dispute the validity of an election, or challenge the conduct of candidates, political parties or the EMB. See also Electoral tribunal
Electoral cycle	The full series of steps involved in the preparation, implementation and evaluation of an election or direct democracy instrument, viewed as one electoral event in a continuing series. In addition to the steps involved in a particular electoral process, it includes pre-electoral activities such as the review of relevant legal and procedural provisions and electoral registration, as well as post-electoral evaluation and/or audit, the maintenance of institutional memory, the process of consultation and the planning of the forthcoming electoral process
Electoral dispute resolution	The process of hearing and adjudication of any complaint, challenge, claim or contest relating to any stage of the electoral process
Electoral district	One of the geographic areas into which a country or region may be divided for electoral purposes. See also Constituency
Electoral management	The process of execution of the activities, tasks and functions of electoral administration
Electoral management body (EMB)	An EMB is an organization or body which has been founded for the sole purpose of, and is legally responsible for, managing some or all of the essential (or core) elements for the conduct of elections, and of direct democracy instruments. These essential (or core) elements include determining who is eligible to vote, receiving and validating the nominations of electoral participants (for elections, political parties and/or candidates), conducting balloting, counting votes, and tabulation of votes
Electoral network (international or regional)	A mechanism, which may be formal or informal, through which EMBs in different countries enable themselves to share knowledge, expertise and/or resources
Electoral register	The list of persons registered as qualified to vote. In some countries known as the voters' list or electoral roll
Electoral tribunal	A judicial or other institution whose specific competence is to hear disputes on electoral matters. In Latin America, such a body is often also an EMB. See also Electoral court
EMB president	In some countries used as the official name of the EMB chair
Expert-based EMB	An independent EMB under the Independent or Mixed Model of electoral management all of whose members are chosen and appointed because of their expertise, reputation or standing in the community. Also referred to as non-partisan EMB
Full-time EMB	An EMB all or most of whose members serve on a full-time basis during their term of office
Governmental Model of electoral management	An electoral management model where elections are organized and managed by the executive branch of government through a ministry, such as the Ministry of the Interior, and/or through local authorities
Independent Model of electoral management	An electoral management model where elections are organized and managed by an EMB which is institutionally independent and autonomous from the executive branch of government, and which has and manages its own budget
Jurisdiction	Refers to the competence and geographic scope of an organization's direction making, decision-making and implementation powers
Liaison ministry	For an independent EMB under the Independent or Mixed Model of electoral management, the government ministry through which the EMB can channel its views and representations to the government, and vice versa
Lower-level EMB	An EMB formed at any sub-national level, for example a province, region, district or commune
Member (of an EMB)	A person appointed or elected to serve on the body or committee which directs the conduct of elections and the implementation of the powers and functions of the EMB
Mixed Model of electoral management	An electoral management model with a dual structure which has a policy, monitoring or supervisory EMB that is independent of the executive branch of government (like an EMB under the Independent Model or Mixed Model of electoral management) and an implementation EMB located within a department of state and/or local government (like an EMB under the Governmental Model of electoral management)
Multiparty-based EMB	An EMB all of whose members are nominated by political parties
National Election Commission	A common title for an independent EMB under the Independent or Mixed Model of electoral management, with competencies over the entire territory of a country
Non-partisan member	An EMB member who has been appointed to the EMB other than as a representative of a political party
Part-time EMB	An EMB all or most of whose members serve on a part-time basis during their term of office
Permanent EMB	An EMB which has a continuous existence throughout the whole electoral cycle and takes care of electoral matters both during and between electoral periods
Political party based EMB	See Multiparty-based EMB
Polling district	An area in which all electors are allocated to vote at a single polling station
Polling official	An member of staff who participates in the administration of a polling station on polling day. Polling officials may or may not be members of the staff of an EMB
Polling station	A venue established for the purpose of polling and controlled by polling officials
Pre-electoral period	One of three periods of the electoral cycle, during which planning and preparation for the conduct of elections take place, and during which legal and procedural provisions are reviewed
Regional EMB	An electoral management body at a sub-national level
Registration of political parties and candidates	The act of accepting the applications to participate in an election of political parties and candidates that meet defined criteria
Registration of voters	The act of entering the names of eligible electors and other relevant information in a register or list of electors
Single-member district	An electoral district from which only one member is elected to a legislature or elected body
Single-member EMB	An EMB where the powers and responsibilities for implementing the mandate of the EMB are vested by the legal framework in a single person
Staggered membership	A system under which members of an EMB are not all appointed at the same time and their terms of office do not end at the same time, usually used to ensure continuity in the work of an EMB
Subsidiary EMB	An EMB that is not the primary or principal entity responsible for the organization of elections within a country, and that assists the primary EMB and implements electoral tasks at local and regional levels
Tabulation	The process of compiling the result of counting of votes cast in an electoral process. Also known as amalgamation of results
Temporary EMB	An EMB which exists only for a specified limited period, often for the electoral period
Term of office	The period of time for which a member of an organization serves following election or appointment
Transitional EMB	An EMB which is set up temporarily to facilitate transitional elections. It is normally set up under the auspices of the international community, such as the UN, and may consist of or include international experts as members
Voter information	A short-term programme focusing on specific electoral information, which aims to give relevant factual information about an electoral process to voters on a timely basis
Voter registration card	A card issued to identify a person registered as an elector in accordance with the provisions of the electoral law
Voters' list	See Electoral register