Electoral challenge A complaint lodged by an electoral participant or stakeholder who believes that his or her electoral rights have been violated. Electoral commission A title often given to an Independent Model EMB or the non-governmental component of a Mixed Model EMB. Electoral court Court of justice or other body before which an electoral actor may dispute the validity of an election, or challenge the conduct of candidates, political parties or the EMB. See also electoral tribunal. Electoral crime An act or omission defined as a criminal offence, usually through electoral legislation or general criminal legislation. Examples include electoral fraud, voter coercion, impeding or falsifying voter registration, and violations of campaign financing provisions. Electoral cycle The full series of steps involved in the preparation and implementation of an election or direct democracy instrument, viewed as one event in a continuing series. In addition to the steps involved in a particular electoral process, it includes post-election evaluation and/ or audit, the maintenance of institutional memory, and the process of consultation and planning of the forthcoming electoral process. Electoral dispute Any complaint, challenge, claim or contest relating to any stage of the electoral process. Electoral dispute resolution (EDR) The process of hearing and adjudication of any complaint, electoral challenge, claim or contest relating to any stage of the electoral process. Electoral dispute-resolution body (EDRB) The body entrusted with defending electoral rights and resolving electoral disputes. These may be entrusted to administrative bodies, judicial bodies, legislative bodies, international bodies or, exceptionally, as a provincial or transitional arrangement, to ad hoc bodies. EDR legislative system An EDR system that vests the power of final decision on the validity of elections, including any challenges brought, to the legislature, one of its committees or some other political assembly. EDR system The legal framework within an electoral justice system that specifies the mechanisms established for resolving electoral disputes and protecting electoral rights. These may be entrusted to administrative bodies, judicial bodies, legislative bodies, international bodies or ad hoc bodies. See also electoral dispute-resolution body. Electoral justice In this report, electoral justice refers to the various means and mechanisms for ensuring that every action, procedure and decision related to the electoral process is in line with the law (the constitution, statute law, international instruments or treaties and all other provisions in force in a country), as well as those for protecting or restoring the enjoyment of electoral rights. Electoral justice gives people who believe their electoral rights to have been violated the ability to make a complaint, get a hearing and receive an adjudication. 59