The Venice Commission is of the view that in a state governed by the rule of law, all holders of a public function should be held accountable for their actions, and the members of the Electoral Management Bodies and Electoral Tribunals are no exception. Free and fair elections are an essential feature of a democratic state, and only transparency, impartiality and independence from politically motivated manipulation will ensure the proper administration of the election process throughout the entire election cycle, and especially from the pre-election period to the end of the counting of the votes and the processing of the results. The question therefore arises as to what the most appropriate form of accountability of the members of the electoral bodies and tribunals is, which will preserve their independence and the smooth holding of free and fair elections. There exist, in the first place, institutional mechanisms to safeguard the due conduct of the members of the EMBs or electoral tribunals and to prevent misconduct, including their appointment for a limited, specific term, and the prior assessment of the candidates and the selection of the members of these bodies by highly qualified experts.