Access to Justice and Electoral Integrity The establishment of a legal framework that ensures the independence of electoral justice bodies is the first step in increasing citizen confidence, but it is necessary to adopt other policies that ensure their complete independence and impartiality. The foremost consideration in a democratic process should be the functional independence, regardless of institutional forms. Proper legal frameworks and budgetary procedures can help ensure impartiality, while public hearings and sessions can strengthen citizen confidence and making information public in a timely fashion helps provide transparency and accountability.32 It needs to be noted that providing the legal framework is just the starting point. Implementation is key. Granted, the creation of electoral justice bodies has a direct impact in the cost of the elections, but in turn it bolsters public confidence and strengthens the rule of law. The cost of elections varies greatly across and within different regions of the world. One major factor in cost variations is the extent of previous experience with multi-party elections. Significant discrepancies exist between these costs in stable democracies, in transitional systems, and those under special peace-keeping conditions. This tends to be the case regardless of the region of the world, the level of economic development and whether or not electoral traditions have been interrupted by periods of military dictatorship. Statistically, the least costly elections (in U.S. dollars), at around $1 to $3 per voter, largely take place in countries with a long electoral experience such as the United States and most Western European countries. Others include, in Latin America: Chile ($1.2), Costa Rica ($1.8) and Brazil ($2.3); in Afric: Botswana ($2.7) and Kenya ($1.8); in Asia and the Pacific: India ($1), Pakistan ($0.5), and Australia ($3.2).33 25