The political and personal stakes are high in any election, and they can lead to many integrity problems, including unethical personal behaviour aimed at swaying the election result. Hence the need for a set of standards of good conduct—widely accepted ethical behaviour—to maintain election integrity. But standards of conduct alone are not enough. The process itself needs to be based on the principles and values inherent to a fair, equitable and competitive election. The most important value and principle is fairness; this fosters public trust in the electoral process and ensures that all electoral administrators, election officers and participants are held accountable for their actions.