A detailed analysis of the transmission properties of low‐energy spherical electrostatic electron spectrometers employing preacceleration or preretardation is presented, which shows that the transmission efficiency of such instruments is not necessarily related inversely to electron energy nor directly to analyzer pass energy. A prescription, which enables observed spectra to be corrected over a wide energy range for intensity variations resulting from instrumental effects, is provided, and a detectable shift (≤ 0.1 eV) in the apparent position of electron lines under certain conditions is predicted. The theory is applied to the design and performance of two spherical photoelectron spectrometers employing ultraviolet and soft x‐ray sources. The analysis may readily be extended to other forms of electrostatic spectrometers employing preacceleration or preretardation.