Ballotpedia:Article guidelines

List of articles with guidelines for writing various types of articles

• How to create lists of initiatives
• Ballotpedia:How to write articles about ballot measures
• How not to write articles about ballot measures
• How to write articles on newspapers that cover ballot measures
• How to write activist profiles
• Supporting or Opposing Initiative and Referendum
• How to write about the history of the I&R movement
• How to write about local or statewide I&R law
• Quick guide to editing - Screenshot tutorials
• Editorial discussions and questions
• All articles on Ballotpedia about writing

Style guidelines

• Ballotpedia:Visual style guide

The "writing" template

There's a template on Ballotpedia that can be added to the discussion or talk page of any page about a specific ballot measure.

To add the template to a page, type {{writing}}.

When added to a page, what appears is this:

Useful links

• Ballot measures
• Editing help
• Report problems
• How not to write
• Cheatsheet
• Community

Writing articles about ballot measures

• Naming the article
• Including hyperlinks and footnotes.
• Strive for a neutral point of view and Avoid weasel words.
• Long lists of supporters, opponents are to be eschewed.
• Avoid edit wars. Deleting relevant, sourced information is often a step on the way to an edit war.
• Before making edits that are likely to be controversial, discuss the issue on the article's talk page.
• In general, strive for neutrality, balance, and fairness of tone.
• Add useful information...links to campaign finance filings, links to the websites of the organizations that support and oppose the ballot measure.
• What are the main arguments that are being made for and against? Incorporate this information in bullet-pointed lists with references to primary source material. Write about the arguments others are making, and clarify where necessary that that's what you're doing.
• Use subsections and bullet points liberally.
• Read articles like Proposition 93 to get ideas of what to include and for style tips.

If you sign your messages on (discussion) pages using four tildes (~~~~); this will automatically insert your username and the date.