Countries with reliable postal systems have an information resource that is inestimable. Educators and election administrators who are able to make their mail appear different from commercial and unsolicited advertising (junk mail) and who are able to prepare it so it has high status and readability are able to penetrate directly to each and every citizen. In countries where the postal system is not reliable, direct mail campaigns will not be a feasible option.
Getting Prepared
In order to do this, educators must
- have access to the mailing addresses of all citizens, through one or other statutory list or through a computerised voters list,
- allocate sufficient money to prepare and mail the material or have a special arrangement with the postal services to carry the items free or at a substantial discount,
- have a system for preparing and personalising the items being sent.
Deciding on Content
Successful direct mail campaigns can be conducted on the basis of an effective set of materials that have utility value for the citizen. When materials are personalised, the utility value may increase, but the motivation to read slightly less useful material also increases.
The material that is sent in the mail could therefore include registration and voting information, general information about the election, general constitutional information, and motivational material.
The direct mail package with the most impact includes a personal letter on a letterhead and supplementary leaflet material that is referred to and explained in the letter. Such a package can include more than one piece of material. If no letter is possible (even a circular that is prepared in the form of a letter), then the amount of material contained in one envelope should be reduced to avoid confusion on the part of the recipient.
In some countries, the election management body is mandated by law to send out "invitations" to vote or notices about the vote. These invitations typically include the voters' name, voter ID number, and the number and location of the voting site assigned to them. Educators may take advantage of this regular mailing by including brief voter education messages either in the invitation or to accompany it.
Accuracy with Names
If the recipient's name and address are to be included, these must be accurate. If there is any likelihood of them being inaccurate, an apology should be noted and the recipient encouraged to make the correction. This has the advantage of checking voters' list accuracy and establishing the impact of the mailing campaign, but it requires a system that does make the correction once it is noted.
Hand Delivery
While it is possible to hand deliver mail, this is less highly valued by the recipient, especially if it is addressed to the householder or not addressed at all. In some circumstances, such mail can increase its impact if it is part of a larger campaign and comes with an organisational identity on the envelope and an expectation of its arrival by the recipient.
Costs and Impact
While a direct mail campaign requires solid infrastructural support as mentioned above, and while the total cost of such a campaign can be high, the individual item cost can be quite low. Because the materials are standardized, they can be prepared centrally with limited staff and expertise. In addition, if the information is valued and anticipated, the delivery to an individual can be quite reliable.
The assumption driving such a campaign is that the package has general relevance and will be well received. In private direct mail campaigns, where it is intended that recipients respond by making a donation or a purchase, responses are generally under five percent of the total mailed out.
This suggests that a campaign that relies on direct mail for motivational purposes or to advertise events or educational products, has to have a massive universe of names before the returns become significant.
Direct Mail Responses
Direct mail seeks to increase the response by becoming more scientific in its determination of the universe and by directing information based on better demographic studies. When responses are forthcoming from individuals, these can be tracked. When purchases are made, or particular services are required, these can be tracked and the mail that is sent revised to meet the anticipated needs of the individual more directly.
It is for these reasons that direct mail systems encourage response, and why an increasing number of commercial institutions are using credit card and other card systems to track individual patterns of consumption.
As yet, there is no example of an educational programme making use of these techniques, although private companies use them.
Obtaining Mailing Lists
In addition to the voters' list, organisations involved in more general educational programmes may decide to add a direct mail component to their programme and may be at a loss as to how to obtain substantial mailing lists.
In some countries, these can be purchased on the open market. However, a democracy programme, because of its social value, may be able to obtain such lists more cheaply and may be able to obtain access to lists that are less frequently sold. Amongst these are registration lists of tertiary institutions, church membership lists, union membership lists, motor registration and driver's licence lists.
Mailing When There Is No Mail
A programme may decide that, despite the difficulty of delivering a package of materials to individuals, it wants to do this in order to overcome the difficulties of arranging outdoor meetings, overcoming prejudice and fear of the only available educational or information staff, or the unreliability or distrust of other forms of communication.
It is possible to prepare materials and have them distributed through nodal organisations and civil society networks, through government departments, and on the basis of an individual collecting the packet at a convenient depot. Depending upon the country's infrastructure, such systems may be less reliable than a postal service. Whatever that distribution system, if it is unreliable, then the voter education programme will not reach each individual, and there is likely to be some loss of materials that will add to the cost per item delivered.
