Guidelines for Understanding, Adjudicating, and Resolving Disputes in Elections Issues of Credibility in the Election Process If exclusion of unqualified applicants is properly carried out, but the quality of candidates is still poor, the resulting legislative body may not function well. This issue can be minimized by an effective challenge process to exclude the most corrupt and criminal applicants. If candidates are not organized into parties or other groups (either before or after the election), it can be difficult for the legislative body to function effectively. This is not directly affected by the election process, but can be mitigated by an election system that encourages development of a party structure. A truly independent media is the best way to prevent a situation in which the incumbent government or party receives nearly all of the media coverage prior to an election. If the media is insufficiently independent, even a well-run election can produce an outcome that is unsatisfactory, because the electorate’s choices will not be well informed. This can be minimized by international insistence on and support for independent media. There is a tendency for the voting public to expect too much from an election. An election is a high-profile and well-defined event. Therefore, the international community and media outlets tend to focus on elections in the short-term, giving only a superficial analysis regarding its success before turning their attention to other matters.  This tendency promises to magnify expectations that a given election will lead swiftly to peace and prosperity. This has two specific implications for the election process. First, it means that every effort must be made to avoid defects in the process, as any noticeable defects will be magnified and blamed for other, negative outcomes. Second, if these outcomes are not satisfactory, the public may blame the process on the election, and not on the elected. Well-defined election processes, combined with an efficient, transparent, and fair complaints adjudication system and appropriate public education, can mitigate this problem and help to reduce public expectations that the election will solve all of the country’s problems. 112