In the current environment of heightened scrutiny and increased focus on the election process, it is more important than ever for election officials to have a public communications plan. Clear, consistent, transparent public communication builds trust in the integrity of the process and the results that it produces.
In previous newsletters, we discussed developing a media relations strategy and highlighted strategies for communicating during an election incident, both critical elements of your overall communications strategy. However, there is more to public communication than outreach through the media, and your communications plan should be operating all the time, not just in response to an incident.
Now is the time to develop your communications plan for the upcoming general election cycle. Consider these five key steps:
1. Identify and Coordinate with Partners – Meet in advance with partners who can amplify, validate, and lend authority to your public communications. Examples may include:
- Internal: jurisdictional leadership, public information officer, law enforcement, IT
- External: state chief election official, media, political parties, civic organizations, state associations
Make a list of these partners indicating how, and in what areas, each can help amplify your messaging. At a minimum, establish communication channels and mutual points of contact for each partner. Additionally, consider inviting a representative of each to learn about your process, discuss collaboration, and coordinate messaging.
2. Build Your Message and Draft Talking Points – Identify common questions and concerns among the public, common pain points in the process, and security and operational measures you are taking to address them. Examples of talking points and messaging themes can include:
- Basic information such as when, where, and how voters can cast their ballots.
- Explanations of confusing or complex parts of the process in advance, such as ballot receipt deadlines and results release schedules.
- Steps taken to ensure the accuracy and security of elections, such as logic and accuracy testing, ballot reconciliation, and results auditing.
Talking points and messaging themes should be clear and concise. Practice them on someone unfamiliar with the process, and refine them as necessary.
3. Plan the Channels for Highest Impact – How the public consumes information varies widely. Plan for which means of communication you will use to reach varying audiences, and craft your message accordingly. Some examples include:
- Print: mailers, flyers, posters, stickers.
- Broadcast: local TV interviews, public service announcements, facility tours, a “media day” to answer common questions and explain basic processes in advance.
- Online / Social Media: election office website (FAQ section), social media accounts, email newsletters, livestreams of election processes such as tabulation and audits.
Make a list of the communication channels you intend to use, the target audience for each, and the topics to communicate to each of those audiences.
4. Establish the Timing of Your Communications – The timing of communication is critical to how, and whether, it is received. Consider the following as you draft a communications schedule:
- Key Election Dates and Deadlines – dates and timeframes such as voter registration and ballot request deadlines, early voting periods, and audit dates will drive the timing of certain communications.
- Holidays and Other Events – holidays like National Voter Registration Day, Halloween, or local events, such as festivals or community dinners, may all provide opportunities to target voters when their attention is focused.
- Cadence – avoid a communication volume or cadence that risks drowning out each message in the noise. Choose your messaging cadence strategically to maximize impact and maintain the public’s attention.
Simple things like the timing of a communication during the day can drastically impact how broadly it is received. Consider whether to send a message during the day or evening, during the week or on the weekend, with awareness of how that timing will impact the likelihood of the message being received by certain target audiences.
5. Define Responsibilities Among Your Team – Assign responsibilities among your team for executing your communications plan. Clearly defined roles and standard operating procedures will help ensure your plan is carried out consistently and reduce the risk of errors and ad hoc decision-making. Some common roles may include:
- Lead – develops core messaging, talking points, communication channels, and timing. This person may also provide the final review before any item goes public.
- Production – graphic design, video production, copy editing, social media posting.
- Media Engagement – single point of contact for media inquiries to ensure consistency.
- Public Engagement – monitors shared inboxes or phone lines and coordinates response.
While the complexity of a communications plan will vary depending on the size and nature of your jurisdiction, checking the box now on these five basic steps can go a long way to less stressful, more effective public communications and a successful election.
The Planning Desk is a running timeline of key election security tasks. You can find prior editions in the newsletter archive.