Election management body
Encyclopedia
An election management body or EMB is the authority in a nation charged with administering the electoral process. EMBs can be independent, mixed, judicial or governmental. The EMB may also be responsible for electoral boundary delimitation
. In federation
s there may be a separate EMB for each subnational government.
is independent and autonomous of the executive, has and manages its own budget. Countries which had an independent EMB in 2006 include Armenia, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Canada, Costa Rica, East Timor, Estonia, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Liberia, Mauritius, Nigeria, Poland, Romania, South Africa, and Thailand. More recent constituents often include a constitutional guarantee of the EMB's independence. South Africa
is an example at Section 190.
, is usually operated as a constitutionally-recognized separate branch of government
whose members are appointed to office by either a vote of the legislative branch or an appointment from the executive. Countries which had a branch-level EMB in 2010 include Bolivia, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
or the Ministry of the Interior operates within the executive and is directed by a cabinet minister. Countries which had government model EMBs in 2006 included Denmark, Seychelles, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, and the United States. A government model EMB may also include local authorities as agents of the central EMB.
n nations, has the electoral authority closely supervised by and ultimately responsible to a special Electoral Court. Countries which had judicial EMBs in 2005 included Argentina, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Mexico.
Boundary delimitation
Boundary delimitation, or simply delimitation, is the term used to describe the drawing of boundaries, but is most often used to describe the drawing of electoral boundaries, specifically those of precincts, states, counties or other municipalities...
. In federation
Federation
A federation , also known as a federal state, is a type of sovereign state characterized by a union of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central government...
s there may be a separate EMB for each subnational government.
Independent model
An independent model EMB, typically called the Electoral CommissionElectoral Commission
An Electoral Commission or Election Commission is an election management body, in charge of overseeing the implementation of election procedures:*Albania: Komisioni Qendror i Zgjedhjeve*Australia: Australian Electoral Commission...
is independent and autonomous of the executive, has and manages its own budget. Countries which had an independent EMB in 2006 include Armenia, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Canada, Costa Rica, East Timor, Estonia, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Liberia, Mauritius, Nigeria, Poland, Romania, South Africa, and Thailand. More recent constituents often include a constitutional guarantee of the EMB's independence. South Africa
Constitution of South Africa
The Constitution of South Africa is the supreme law of the country of South Africa. It provides the legal foundation for the existence of the republic, sets out the rights and duties of its citizens, and defines the structure of the government. The current constitution, the country's fifth, was...
is an example at Section 190.
Branch-level model
An interdependent model EMB, also known as an electoral branchElectoral branch
The electoral branch of a government is a branch of government, co-equal to or autonomous from others such as the legislative or judicial branches, which coordinates and adjudicates the conducting of elections...
, is usually operated as a constitutionally-recognized separate branch of government
Separation of powers
The separation of powers, often imprecisely used interchangeably with the trias politica principle, is a model for the governance of a state. The model was first developed in ancient Greece and came into widespread use by the Roman Republic as part of the unmodified Constitution of the Roman Republic...
whose members are appointed to office by either a vote of the legislative branch or an appointment from the executive. Countries which had a branch-level EMB in 2010 include Bolivia, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
Mixed model
A mixed model EMB, has an independent board to determine policy, but implementation a matter for an executive department with varying degrees of supervision by the independent board. Countries which had a mixed EMB in 2006 include Cameroon, France, Germany, Jamaica, Japan, Mali, Senegal, Spain, and Togo.Executive model
A government model EMB, typically called the Secretary of StateSecretary of State (U.S. state government)
Secretary of State is an official in the state governments of 47 of the 50 states of the United States, as well as Puerto Rico and other U.S. possessions. In Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, this official is called the Secretary of the Commonwealth...
or the Ministry of the Interior operates within the executive and is directed by a cabinet minister. Countries which had government model EMBs in 2006 included Denmark, Seychelles, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, and the United States. A government model EMB may also include local authorities as agents of the central EMB.
Judicial model
A judicial model EMB, chiefly found in Latin AmericaLatin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n nations, has the electoral authority closely supervised by and ultimately responsible to a special Electoral Court. Countries which had judicial EMBs in 2005 included Argentina, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Mexico.
See also
- Association of Central and Eastern European Election OfficialsAssociation of Central and Eastern European Election OfficialsThe Association of European Election Officials or ACEEEO is an organization of election management bodies founded in 1991 to promote the institutionalization and professionalization of democratic procedures in Europe...
- Electoral CommissionElectoral CommissionAn Electoral Commission or Election Commission is an election management body, in charge of overseeing the implementation of election procedures:*Albania: Komisioni Qendror i Zgjedhjeve*Australia: Australian Electoral Commission...
Regional Networks of Election Management Bodies
- Association of African Election AuthoritiesAssociation of African Election AuthoritiesThe Association of African Election Authorities is a Regional Network of Election Management Bodies. The organization is dedicated to the professionalization of election administration through information exchange and regional networking...
- Association of Asian Election Authorities
- Association of European Election Officials