Guidelines for Safeguarding Election Management Body Independence in Engagement with Other Public Institutions
GNSEI has released a set of Guidelines designed to help election management bodies (EMBs) assert and protect their independence while working with legislatures, security agencies, health authorities and other public institutions. Developed through more than 50 consultations worldwide, the Guidelines respond to mounting pressures on EMB autonomy and outline concrete measures every stakeholder can take to preserve credible and impartial elections.
Overview
Threats from political interference to crises such as pandemics or natural disasters can undermine EMB authority and voter confidence in elections. GNSEI’s Guidelines broaden the traditional, purely legal notion of EMB independence to include financial, personnel, functional and behavioural dimensions — highlighting how interagency cooperation can strengthen as well as complicate election integrity.
Key recommendations
- Legislatures should enact clear, unambiguous mandates and provide timely and sufficient funding to protect EMB members’ tenure, thereby deterring partisan pressure.
- Electoral Management Bodies should institutionalise transparency, publish written cooperation agreements, cultivate in‑house expertise (e.g., IT, cybersecurity) and conduct regular threat assessments.
- Public institutions (e.g., security services, ministries of health, or ICT agencies) should collaborate in good faith, share critical data promptly, and participate in joint crisis-planning exercises.
- Civil society organisations should monitor appointment processes, advocate for open data on EMB–agency interactions, and publicly defend EMBs that operate independently.
- Political parties and media are called on to respect codes of conduct, avoid sensationalism and report undue interference through proper channels.
- International partners should reinforce EMB autonomy, support knowledge‑sharing among peers and identify threats through observation mission reports.
Launched in 2023, GNSEI now unites more than 30 organisations committed to advancing electoral integrity worldwide. These Guidelines complement earlier GNSEI principles on reform processes and offer a practical roadmap for safeguarding neutrality in even the most complex electoral environments.
Read the full publication: Guidelines for Safeguarding Election Management Body Independence in Engagement with Other Public Institutions (Sept. 2024)
