Systematic measurement error in election violence data: causes and consequences

What are the causes and consequences of systematic measurement error in violence measures drawn from media-based conflict event data? More specifically, how valid are such event data for geo-coding and capturing election violence? We examine sub-national variation in election violence and use original data from domestic election monitor surveys as a comparison to widely used sources of event data. We show that conventional data under-report events throughout the election cycle, particularly in densely populated areas and in anticipated violence hotspots. Moreover, systematic measurement error of media-based event data for measuring election violence generates significant relationships where none exist, and different effect magnitudes. We offer ways forward for future research and indicate ways in which existing work on election violence may have been affected by systematic measurement error