ABSTRACT
The chapter begins by trying to define centralisation and decentralisation in the sphere of electoral management. It introduces what the field of public administration says about the consequences of (de)centralisation in general, before reviewing the brief literature on centralisation in electoral management. Centralising electoral management is one policy instrument which is often proposed to ensure better electoral management. The chapter focuses on the internal organisation of electoral management bodies – those state bodies with a formal mandate to play a role in administering elections. Pressures for centralisation and decentralisation in electoral management also map onto broader pressures for constitutional change. Broader research from the field of public administration provides insights into how and why bureaucratic centralisation might affect organisational performance, with several different approaches emerging. A bureaucratic discretion school followed which issued further warnings about centralisation.
