intentionally
Distorts the will of the people. This
may manifest as interference with
individual votes, or in overall vote
counts that impact results.
Result
Illustrative
Remedies
Job loss or suspension
Blacklist (not to be hired again)
Fine
Criminal prosecution
criminal malpractice, regardless of whether intent
is proven)
May lead to irregularities in the electoral process,
some of which may prevent the election outcome
from reflecting the will of the people
Corrective resolution (e.g., clarification on correct
procedure)
Additional training
Warning
Job dismissal, suspension, or demotion
Blacklist (not to be hired again)
Fine
For criminal malpractice, criminal prosecution
In some cases, a practical resolution to a problem or irregularity will actually be more
effective in ensuring the integrity of the process and protecting fundamental rights than a formal
legal remedy. A resolution can be implemented immediately and fix a problem directly, and may
prevent any violations of fundamental rights if implemented early enough in the process. In
Grosaru v. Romania, the ECtHR held:
for a remedy to be effective it need not always be a judicial remedy or a single remedy.
The Court has accepted the possibility of an aggregate of remedies. Furthermore, the
notion of effectiveness is construed as ensuring either the prevention of the alleged
violation, or the provision of adequate redress, including compensation, for the victim of
a violation.29
Grosaru v. Romania illustrates the fact that certain violations (and hence certain
remedies) may overlap; an action can be both an electoral violation under electoral laws or
regulations, as well as a crime under the country’s penal code. For example, an incident of
violence committed with the purpose of intimidating a person to vote a certain way may be both
an offense of intimidation under electoral laws, and the crime of assault under the penal code. In
such cases the act may be sanctioned (i.e., a remedy provided) under both the electoral laws and
under the penal code. The level of evidence necessary for a criminal conviction can make a
criminal prosecution more time-consuming, and convicting a person of a crime requires a higher
evidentiary standard (generally “beyond a reasonable doubt”), than to sanction a person for an
electoral offense. Conversely, there are factors that make criminal prosecution more effective:
greater resources for investigation; greater penalties; the power of arrest; and wide powers of
search and seizure to obtain evidence.
In short, what is being remedied must be determined if one is to measure the
effectiveness of a particular remedy. If administrative mistakes have been made, administrative
corrections of the mistakes and additional training to ensure the mistakes do not happen again
are likely to be considered effective. However, if fraud has occurred, effectively correcting the
fraudulent act and its impact on the election could be difficult. Numerous factors need be
29
Grosaru v. Rom., App. No. 78039/01, 2010-II Eur. Ct. H.R. 1 (2010). See also, Kudła v. Pol., No. 30210/96, 2000-XI Eur.
Ct. H.R. § 158 (2000).