Editorial Standards

How we research, write and correct the explainers on The Ballot Primer.

Sources

Facts about elections come first from the bodies that run or record them: electoral commissions, parliaments and official gazettes. Laws are quoted from official legislation databases. For international comparisons we use the work of established organisations such as International IDEA and the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and we link to every source we rely on at the end of each article.

Balance

We describe systems, not sides. When a question is contested, such as which voting system is fairer, we set out the main arguments made by each side and say which facts they rest on. We do not name party leaders or candidates unless an explainer cannot be understood without them, and then only to state a matter of public record.

Keeping articles current

Electoral laws and constitutions change. We review explainers when a change affects them, and every article shows the date it was last updated.

Corrections

When we get something wrong, we fix it and update the date on the article. You can reach us through the contact page.