The articles in this edition of Social Alternatives focus on elections – the lead-up to elections, election campaigns and the aftermath of elections as governments take up office and seek to implement their policies. The articles also examine different aspects of elections in different jurisdictions – elections conducted under different electoral systems that decide who can vote, how the votes are tallied and final electoral outcomes. They examine elections in jurisdictions with long-standing stable democracies and in countries where democracy has been overthrown and restored. In one case, the ballot is to decide not who will govern, but whether a new independent country should be formed. Some articles consider what happens after the election, including the impact of electoral change on parliamentary institutions and the importance of leadership style. Scrutiny is applied to the way elected governments go about the implementation of policy, whether they keep their promises and what ideological drivers affect their actions. The difficulties of translating the words uttered in election campaigns such as ‘balanced budgets’ and ‘renegotiation of European Union powers’ are analysed. Many common themes emerge in these articles despite the different jurisdictions considered and the diverse topics examined.