In this issue we examine fair and free elections from several perspectives. William Kimberling of the Federal Election Commission, which regulates campaign financing, points out that his commission's role is to see that individual as well as organizational contributions do not wield undue influence over the political process. Carolyn Barta examines how fairly and how well the media provide citizens with information on the candidates and the issues. Herbert E. Alexander provides a historical review of campaign-financing practices and looks at the impact of recent attempts to reform them. David Pitts assesses the effects of third-party efforts in a two-party political atmosphere. Jim Morrill takes a behind-the-scenes look at election-day operations within a North Carolina county.