Election commission explained

An election commission is a body charged with overseeing the implementation of electioneering process of any country. The formal names of election commissions vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, and may be styled an electoral commission,^[1] a central^[2] or state election commission, or an election board,^[3] an electoral council or an electoral court.^[4] Election commissions can be independent, mixed, judicial or executive. They may also be responsible for electoral boundary delimitation. In federations there may be a separate body for each subnational government. An election commission has a duty to ensure elections are conducted in an orderly manner.

Electoral models

Independent model

In the independent model the election commission is independent of the executive and manages its own budget. Countries with an independent election commission include Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, India, Jordan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and the United Kingdom. In some of these countries the independence of the election commission is constitutionally guaranteed, e.g. section 190 of the Constitution of South Africa.

Branch model

In the branch model the election commission is often called an electoral branch, and is usually a constitutionally-recognized separate branch of government, with its members appointed by either the executive or the legislative branch. Countries with an electoral branch include Bolivia, Costa Rica, Panama, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

Mixed model

In the mixed-model there is an independent board to determine policy, but implementation is usually a matter for an executive department with varying degrees of supervision by the independent board. Countries with such a model include Cameroon, France, Germany, Japan, Senegal and Spain.

Executive model

In the executive model the election commission is directed by a cabinet minister as part of the executive branch of government, and may include local government authorities acting as agents of the central body. Countries with this model include Denmark, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia.

In the United States, elections for federal, state, and local offices are run by the executive branch of each state government.^[5]

Judicial model

In the judicial model the election commission is closely supervised by and ultimately responsible to a special "electoral court". Countries with such a model include Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.

List of election commissions

• • • Afghanistan Independent Election Commission (defunct since 2021)
  • Election Complaints Commission (defunct since 2021)
• Albania

Central Election Commission

• Argentina
  • Dirección Nacional Electoral
  • Cámara Nacional Electoral
• Australia

Australian Electoral Commission

Electoral Commission

Electoral Commission

Electoral Commission

Electoral Commission

Electoral Commission

Electoral Commission

Electoral Commission

Electoral Commission

• Bangladesh

Election Commission

• Barbados

Electoral and Boundaries Commission

• Belarus

Central Election Commission

• Belize

Elections and Boundaries Commission

• • • Plurinational Electoral Organ (since 2010)
  • National Electoral Court (defunct since 2010)
• Belgium

Federal Public Service Interior

• Brazil

Superior Electoral Court

• • Regional Electoral Courts
• Cambodia

National Election Committee

• Canada

Elections Canada

• • Élections Québec
  • Elections Alberta
  • Elections BC
  • Elections Manitoba
  • Elections New Brunswick
  • Elections Newfoundland & Labrador
  • Elections Nova Scotia
  • Elections Nunavut
  • Elections NWT
  • Elections Ontario
  • Elections Prince Edward Island
  • Elections Saskatchewan
  • Elections Yukon
• Chile

Electoral Service

• China (excl. Hong Kong and Macau) Election Committees for Local People's Congress elections only
• Colombia

National Electoral Council

• Costa Rica

Supreme Electoral Court

• Cuba

• Cyprus

Central Elections Office

Independent National Electoral Commission

• Ecuador
  • National Electoral Council
    • Egypt

High Elections Committee

• Ethiopia

National Election Board

• Fiji

Electoral Commission

• France

Constitutional Council

• Germany

Federal Returning Officer

• Ghana

Electoral Commission

• Grenada

Parliamentary Elections Office

• Guyana

Elections Commission

• Haiti

Provisional Electoral Council

• Hong Kong

Electoral Affairs Commission

• Iceland

National Electoral Commission

• India

Election Commission

• Indonesia

General Elections Commission

Guardian Council

• Iraq

Independent High Electoral Commission

• Ireland

Electoral Commission

• Israel

Central Elections Committee

• Italy

Central Directorate for Electoral Services

• Jamaica

Electoral Commission of Jamaica

• Japan

Central Election Management Council

• Jordan

Independent Election Commission

• Kazakhstan

Central Election Commission

• Kenya
  • Interim Independent Electoral Commission (since 2008)
  • Electoral Commission (defunct since 2008)

National Election Committee (Lao)

• Liberia

National Elections Commission

• Libya

High National Election Commission

Electoral Affairs Commission (Macau)

• Malaysia

Election Commission

• Malta

Electoral Commission^[6]

• Mexico
  • National Electoral Institute
  • Federal Electoral Tribunal

Central Election Commission

• Myanmar Union Electoral Commission
• Nepal

Election Commission

• Netherlands

Electoral Council

• New Zealand

Electoral Commission

• Nicaragua

Supreme Electoral Council

• Nigeria

Independent National Electoral Commission

Central Election Committee (North Korea)^[7]

High Electoral Board

• Norway

Norwegian Directorate of Elections

• Pakistan

Election Commission

Central Elections Commission

• Philippines

Commission on Elections

• • Once a winner is proclaimed, only these tribunals can rule on election matters
    • Philippines

Presidential Electoral Tribunal (entirely composed of the Supreme Court)

• • • Senate Electoral Tribunal
    • House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal
    • Regional Trial Courts for local officials
• Poland

National Electoral Commission

• Portugal

Puntland Electoral Commission

Central Election Commission

• Singapore

Elections Department

• Slovenia

State Election Commission (Državna volilna komisija)

National Electoral Commission

• South Africa

Independent Electoral Commission

National Election Commission

• Spain

Junta Electoral Central

• Sri Lanka

Election Commission of Sri Lanka

• Sweden

Election Authority

Central Election Commission

National Electoral Commission

• Thailand

Election Commission

• Tunisia

Independent High Authority for Elections

• Turkey

Supreme Electoral Council of Turkey^[8]

• Ukraine

Central Election Commission

• United Kingdom

Electoral Commission

• United States
  • Election Assistance Commission, serves as a national clearinghouse and resource regarding election administration, establishes best practices, and provides financial aid to state electoral systems.
  • Federal Election Commission, regulates campaign finance legislation
  • Electoral Commission, a special commission for the 1876 presidential election

Florida Election Commission

Hawaii Elections Commission^[9]

Illinois State Board of Elections^[10]

Maryland State Board of Elections^[11]

New York State Board of Elections^[12]

North Carolina State Board of Elections & Ethics Enforcement^[13]

Oklahoma State Election Board

• • Puerto Rico

State Elections Commission

South Carolina State Election Commission^[14]

Virginia State Board of Elections^[15]

Wisconsin Elections Commission^[16]

• Uruguay

Electoral Court

National Electoral Council

National Election Council (Vietnam)

• Zimbabwe

Electoral Commission

Election commissions in Africa

As of 2021, 53 out of 55 African nations (save for Eritrea and Somalia, which do not hold elections) use or have used election commissions to organize and supervise their elections. First introduced in the Sudan in 1957, election commissions were created across the continent especially after many African nations introduced a system of multi-party democracy in the early 1990s.^[17]

See also

• Electoral college, a body which elects a candidate to a particular office.
  • Association of Central and Eastern European Election Officials
• Association of African Election Authorities
• Court of Disputed Returns

External links

• Association of Asian Election Authorities
• Association of European Election Officials

Notes and References

1. Web site: Australian Electoral Commission . December 15, 2018.
2. Web site: Elections to the Latvian Saeima (Parliament) . Alvarez-Rivera . Manuel . Election Resources on the Internet . December 15, 2018.
3. Web site: Oklahoma State Election Board . December 15, 2018.
4. Web site: Superior Electoral Court, Brazil (TSE) . December 15, 2018 . November 16, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201116143742/http://english.tse.jus.br/the-electoral-justice/the-electoral-justice-1/the-electoral-justice . dead .
5. Web site: About Us. Florida Division of Elections. Florida Department of State. 13 February 2017.
6. Web site: Electoral Commission of Malta Welcome to the portal of the Electoral Commission of Malta . 2023-12-07 . electoral.gov.mt.
7. Web site: Report of Central Election Committee in DPRK Issued . 2023-12-07 . dprktoday.com.
8. Web site: YSK Web Portal . 2023-12-07 . www.ysk.gov.tr.
9. Web site: State of Hawaii Office of Elections . 7 December 2023 . Elections Commission.
10. Web site: Board of Elections . 7 December 2023 . Illinois State Board of Elections . 2019-06-21 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190621154554/https://www.elections.il.gov/ . dead .
11. Web site: Maryland State Board of Elections . 2023-12-07 . elections.maryland.gov.
12. Web site: Board of Elections . 7 December 2023 . New York State Board of Elections.
13. Web site: Home Page NCSBE . 2023-12-07 . North Carolina State Board of Elections.
14. Web site: Home . 2023-12-07 . SC Votes - South Carolina Election Commission . en-US.
15. Web site: Virginia Department of Elections - Home . 2023-12-07 . www.elections.virginia.gov.
16. Web site: 2022-04-04 . Wisconsin Elections Commission . 2023-12-07 . elections.wi.gov . en.
17. Book: Marzin, Régis. Les commissions électorales et le retour du multipartisme entre 1990 et 1994 en Afrique, Historique des commissions électorales de 1957 à 2021.. 2021. French.