September 11, 2024
Election Communications Back to the Basics: Digital Communications
86% of people in the United States get their news from a phone, tablet or computer. For election administrators seeking to reach their audience where they are, communicating election information online is a virtual necessity.
Having a digital footprint increases opportunities for voter engagement, improves information delivery, and increases trust between election officials and voters. One of the most common ways that voters can solidify their digital footprint is through an elections website. Experts from the Center from Tech and Civic Life explain that successful election websites help election officials establish themselves as trusted sources of information, address common questions, and provide important information to voters. They emphasize the importance of plain language, readability and ease of navigation, and suggest that election officials set up https and a .gov domain for their new and existing sites. Election officials can also reference guidance from the Cybersecurtiy and Infrastructure Security Agency while signing up for a .gov domain. Once election offices have mastered the basics of a successful website, the experts have further recommendations for optimizing content for mobile devices, and ensuring that their websites are accessible for voters with disabilities, and have appropriate language options for their communities.
While websites contain static information, social media platforms are more dynamic, and allow an election office to have a conversation with voters. Each social media platform is different. Facebook is the site that people most turn to for news and reaches all age democrats. YouTube also has a strong news presence, but it is exclusively for videos, and videos on YouTube can be longer than on other social media platforms. Instagram is visual-first, and largely for entertainment. X (formerly known as Twitter), by contrast, is primarily for conversations. Both Instagram and X reach younger audiences.
In general, visually-engaging graphics and videos tend to perform better than static text on social media platforms.
Where possible, connect your posts to an action. This can be as simple as encouraging voters to check their voter registration information, save an important deadline, or read an important article. Content with a purpose helps increase post and account engagement while preparing voters for whatever is next in the election cycle.
If capacity allows it, it’s best to use multiple social media platforms. When posting across platforms, appeal to the audience that typically uses that site and tailor your content to the platform. If, however, you have to make decisions about what platform to focus on, think about the voters in your jurisdiction and make a strategic calculation about what sites are most likely to reach them.
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