The Electoral Commission | Definition, Features & Functions

The Electoral Commission | Definition, Features, Functions & Problems

What is an Electoral Commission?

An Electoral Commission is a body responsible for organising and conducting elections in a political system. It can also be seen as an independent and impartial body responsible for conducting and organising all elections in a given country.

As said in our previous article, some countries establish electoral commissions to conduct elections into political offices.

In some countries, there is only one central electoral body while few others have several electoral commissions. Yet the local government serves as the electoral umpire in a country like the USA.

Nigeria, for example, has both a central electoral commission and state electoral commissions which are responsible for the organisation and conduct of elections at different levels in the political system.

Features of Electoral Commission

Features of electoral commissions includes the following;

1. Organizing and Conducting Elections – It is the body responsible for organising and conducting all elections in a political system.
2. Free and Fair Election – The commission is responsible for the conduct of free and fair election in a country.
3. Announcing of Election Results – it has the sole power of announcing election results.
4. Independent Body – It is an independent and impartial electoral body.
5. Controlled and Headed by a Chairman – The commission is controlled by the chairman while other members are appointed.
6. Fixed Tenure of Office – The members of this commission have a fixed tenure of office.
7. Resident Commissioner – There resident commissioners for each states of the federation.
8. A Neutral Body – It is a neutral body and should be non-partisan in outlook.
9. It is Guided by the Constitution – This commission has the backing of the law in all its dispensation and actions.
10. Honesty and Fairplay – The Commission should be honest and just in its decision-making especially with the conduct of the elections.

Functions of the Electoral Commission

The Electoral Commission performs largely similar functions in every country. They include the following:

• Demarcation of Constituencies

The Electoral Commission delimits of demarcates the constituencies. It is usually done on a regular basis. In Ghana, the delimitation of constituencies is carried out every 7 years or within 12 months after a census.

The 1999 Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, for example, stipulates what constitutes a constituency in Nigeria, Section 73(1) of the constitution gives Electoral Commission powers to review constituency every 10 years.

• Registration of Voters and Display of Voters Register

A major function of an electoral body is the registration of voters. Ideally, the exercise should be done on a regular basis and should be carried out by full-time civil service employees.

It also displays the voters register for the electorate to raise objections on pin point names that should not be on the list. The rigging of election begins with the registration of voters and it is therefore a highly political process.

• Registration of Political Parties

The Electoral Commission registered political parties or their symbols. It is a regular and continuous exercise.

• Polling of Votes

The commission makes arrangement for voters to cast their votes. The responsibility for allowing or refusing to allow a registered voter to vote is a great responsibility.

• Counting of Votes

The counting of votes polled at polling stations and other designated centres is also the responsibility of the commission.

• Certification of Results

The commission ensures that the results of elections certified and released. the success or failure of an Electoral Commission depends largely on its ability to perform this function well.

• Education of Voters and Publicity

It is the responsibility of the commission to educate voters on issues pertaining to elections including registration, confirmation of names on electoral register, and how to mark the ballot papers.

It also informs the public about the activities of the commission and arrangements for elections. This is without prejudice to the role of political parties as change agents and educators of their members.

• Recruitment and Discipline of Electoral Officials

The commission appoints, trains and disciplines its own staff. Because of its huge responsibilities, the commission is bound to use thousands of full-time and part-time employees although most of them are usually temporary officials.

This creates problems of discipline, as it is difficult for the commission to discipline people who are not its own permanent staff and who may have their own hidden interest.

• Procurement, Custody and Distribution of Electoral Materials

The commission uses electoral materials such as registration forms, voters’ cards, ballot papers, indelible ink, and resort sheets. These are essentially security materials which have to be kept in safe custody if they are not to fall into the wrong hands.

The commission ensures not only the procurement and safekeeping of these items but also their distribution to the polling stations where they are needed.

• Advisory Services to Government on Electoral Issues

The commission also serves as an advisory body to government on electoral matters.