Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use the Global Elections Database?

The data are available in multiple formats. You can build customized spreadsheets that easily lend themselves to statistical analysis, and save these datasets so that they are automatically updated when new data are added to the dataset. You can view tables of the election results to quickly find out how many votes and seats a party won in a particular election, or you can visualize the election results across district using heat maps.

Why set up an account?

An account allows you to save customized datasets for future reference, and to receive automatic updates to the data when they become available. Your account information will not be shared with third parties. To access your account, click on your name in the upper right-hand corner of any screen once you have logged into the system.

How is my dataset updated automatically?

If you set up an account and store your own datasets, your stored datasets can be set up so that they are updated automatically when new data becomes available. During the creation of your dataset, you can choose an option to keep your dataset updated. If this option is chosen, the dataset is automatically updated whenver new data is added to the Global Elections Database. The updated file overwrites the original data file, so be sure to save the original file elsewhere. Only the data in the original file will be updated. To include data outside the parameters of your original dataset (i.e., different countries or decades), you have to create a new dataset. The codebook will not be updated automatically, so make sure to manually download the most recent codebook each time you use the dataset. You will not be notified automatically of the updates. You must log into your account to check for them.

How do I cite the Global Elections Database?

Brancati, Dawn. Global Elections Database [computer file]. New York: Global Elections Database [distributor], Date Accessed mm/dd/yyyy. Website: http://www.globalelectionsdatabase.com.

The dataset is protected by copyright of the US Copyright Office. The data are for personal use only. The data may not be transferred, copied, or disseminated to third parties without prior written permission of the author.

This project has been supported by the National Sciences Foundation Research Grant, #0849215.

How do I know what electoral system countries have?

For information on electoral systems, see: 2013. Nils-Christian Bormann & Matt Golder. "Democratic Electoral Systems Around the World, 1946-2011." Electoral Studies 32: 360-369.