Democratic principles and judging tree and fair’

Abstract

This paper draws attention to the many variants of democracy established over the centuries, arguing that any definition of ‘free and fair’ is dependent on the democratic values that emerge from these different traditions. While some instances of election‐related improprieties very clearly violate any conception of ‘free and fair’, problems arise when different conceptions of democracy are combined with the nuances of the electoral process (such as the benefits and drawbacks of different electoral systems). Moreover, a question arises as to how and to what extent individual standards for ‘freeness’ and ‘fairness’ are compatible. It is argued here that a balance must be struck between them; few, if any, decisions made to strike this equilibrium are politically neutral.