relating to the scope of their involvement in these matters. Finally, civic education campaigns should include basic information on the complaints procedure. 14. The relevant authorities should take the necessary policy and institutional steps to ensure that those with election-related responsibilities are trained on election dispute rules and procedures in accordance with the election law of the country and international standards. 15. The complaints procedure should be free of unnecessary obstacles, especially as regards the cost of bringing an action to court. Wherever possible the complaints procedure should be accessible without charge to the complainant. Where costs are unavoidable, they should be kept to a minimum so as not to deter citizens from bringing a complaint. 16. An effective, fair and transparent complaints procedure requires that potential complainants be informed of the means by which the complaint should be made, which body it will be considered by and the time frame for its resolution. In addition, complainants should be aware of the type and amount of evidence needed to sustain their allegations with sufficient factual and legal materials. 17. Decisions taken by the electoral bodies, in particular those related to voter and candidate registration, should as a rule indicate the remedies available.10 18. Mechanisms for resolving election disputes should be governed by a coherent body of legal norms, preferably in a distinct chapter or section of the law. The terms, wording and legal scope of the election dispute provisions on the different subject matters should be mutually uniform so as to secure their consistency and completeness. The language used throughout the law should be clear and consistent so as to eliminate arbitrary interpretation. D. Promptness of the proceedings: time limits and deadlines 19. Considering that the conduct of an election requires prompt decisions and actions within a pre-determined timeframe, the procedures governing election disputes should differ from those provided for general civil disputes. This could be reflected in shorter deadlines and a single appeal process, which can be justified so long as sufficient time is provided to file complaints and appeals. 20. When setting time limits a balance should be struck between imperatives relating to the administration of justice in a timely manner within the electoral timeframe and the right to challenge decisions, actions or omissions of the electoral bodies in the fulfilment of their mandate. 21. In particular, time-limits should allow courts and electoral bodies sufficient time to process, review and make decisions upon the complaints and appeals submitted to them. The fact that some complaints or appeals, especially those related to election funding or campaigning, may require further investigation should also be taken into consideration. 22. For each phase or facet of the electoral process, the electoral law should expressly and systematically set deadlines after which applications, objections, complaints and appeals may no longer be admitted by courts and electoral bodies alike. Specific time-limits may 10 This principle is in line with the broader principle set out in paragraph 5.10 of the Document of the Copenhagen Meeting of the CSCE, 29 June 1990. 11