To include or not to include? Party representation in electoral institutions and confidence in elections

Abstract

Existing research does not offer conclusive evidence on which electoral management body (EMB) model is best for having confidence in electoral processes. While some scholars favour partisan autonomy in election administration, others argue for a multiparty-based election management. Others provide mixed evidence. This article focuses on the importance of including political parties in EMBs, measured by a scale with four levels of participation of parties in the appointment of EMB members. Results show that although it may be advantageous to include political parties in the appointment process of the EMB members, not all forms of inclusion yield the same level of benefits in terms of confidence in elections. This is demonstrated through logistic and multilevel regression of results from the Parliamentary Elites of Latin America survey.