Although a regulatory system will probably make a distinction between public and private  media, a number of aspects of the law or regulations governing the media in elections are likely to affect both sectors. These may include:

• An expedited procedure for hearing complaints against the media by the public or political parties;
• Any regulations relating to the reporting of opinion polls;
• Policies relating to "hate speech", defamation, media liability for the statements of politicians and other related issues;
• Any policy on news blackouts before or during the election;
• Journalists' right of access to election events;
• Accreditation of journalists;
• Provisions to ensure the safety of journalists.

A regulatory authority may place different obligations on the private and public media over matters such as whether they carry voter education or direct access materials. But a usual practice is that where private media carry such coverage - even when they are not obliged to - they should conform to the same standards of equity and impartiality as the public media.