At the same time, the recall, as a political tool, is by its very nature different from the imperative mandate. While the free mandate is a basic foundational principle of political representation, the recourse to recall, in those jurisdictions where it is allowed, only represents a reactive mechanism, which does not have the character of a default rule. Unlike the imperative mandate - where the binding will of the electors forms the permanent framework for the action of elected officials -, the recall only comes into operation as an ad-hoc corrective instrument, when and if it is activated, being the subject of a decision dependent on the political will of a prescribed number of voters, under specific procedural conditions.