[Glorzifen]

For: Cl₂(g) --> Cl^- + ClO₃ (basic solution)

Cl₂(g) + 2e^- --> 2Cl^- (CORRECT)
Cl₂ --> 2ClO₃^-, I don't see what's stopping me from just adding 2e^- to the reactants side like the first half reaction. I know that's incorrect, but according to the steps I'm following...am I not supposed to balance the charges with electrons before any OH^- business?

[Borek]

Few hours ago I have explained that you balance ATOMS first, charge later, now you are asking if you should not balance charge first. I feel like I am wasting my time.

[Glorzifen]

Not at all.

Perhaps I didn't realize such a contradiction in what you were saying and what my prof told me, which was that I need to balance the half reaction ATOMS but usually not O and H unless they're participating. Initially I never needed to balance O and H so I had assumed I wouldn't need to later on.

In this case though, O is apparently more integral to the equation than before and thus needs to be balanced? I guess I just didn't see why O was more important here than in the other examples I've been working on. I can figure that on my own though, and I apologize for the confusion.