Election Investigations Guidebook on election investigations has not to date been readily available, we have also presented a variety of country examples to illuminate the standards in this Guidebook. Some are presented to emphasize good practices, others simply as an illustration of how some jurisdictions have approached election investigations to date. How was it developed? The process of developing this Guidebook is outlined in more detail in the introductory section. It involved an initial literature review of available texts on investigations, engagement with relevant experts, meetings with judges and lawyers, a global survey, workshop discussions, and multiple rounds of peer review. What is the basis of the Guidebook? The Guidebook is framed around General Comment 31 to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR): “Administrative mechanisms are particularly required to give effect to the general obligation to investigate allegations of violations promptly, thoroughly and effectively through independent and impartial bodies.” The Guidebook considers these four key elements to be the basic investigative principles and provides further detail for applying them to electoral allegations specifically. Discussion of each principle focuses primarily on the role of investigators but also touches on the tasks of other stakeholders that may impact the principle and the investigator’s role in the broader process of election dispute resolution and prosecution. How is the Guidebook structured? The Guidebook is divided into the following sections: › Introduction This section outlines the background to and development of the Election Investigations Guidebook and introduces the topic of election investigations within the wider context of election dispute resolution and prosecution. It also introduces key international principles that govern election investigations. 12