Why is Voter Information supplied?
The object of voter information is to encourage all eligible prospective voters to exercise their
democratic rights and to allay any fears or concerns they may have about the process. Firstly
they need to know that elections are taking place and information in this area can be generalist.
The process can then move more to information about the particular election and how and where
the voter can exercise their choice.
Information about the election process can be disseminated in many ways and these are often not
under the control of the electoral manager. The candidates and parties contesting an election will
for their own purposes generate extensive publicity and information about the forthcoming
election.
This is normally concentrated more on the desirability of a vote being cast for a particular
candidate or candidates and / or party.
It is important that voters have a non-partisan source of official information as well as that
through unofficial sources.
The Media
High profile national elections are a major news issue - the weeks preceding polling are likely to
be dominated by the contest. Much of the interest will be about candidate, party and political
issues. Process is not usually a matter of great media concern unless something goes wrong or
unless a particular process is seen to be flawed. Most electors will get information about when a
national election is taking place from the media rather than the electoral manager. That is why
supplying the media with briefing packs is an important aspect of electoral management.
These can be quite simple if supplied at local level where the media may want only basic
information about previous results and details of electorates and background. An example for a
United Kingdom Parliamentary Constituency see Media Information - United Kingdom runs to only a single page whereas
the Media Pack produced by Elections Canada for the 1993 Elections see Media Pack - Elections Canada is
comprehensive in terms of statistics and process. For elections which do not command the same
scale of media interest the electoral manager needs to take a more pro-active role and supply the
media with information otherwise they may well not feature election news. Giving the media
information in advance about what elections are taking place, previous results, any changes in
process and general background helps inform electors. Closer to polling information should be
supplied about candidates, parties, contests and polling procedures - it is always helpful to
emphasise any new procedures or changes in procedures. All of this should be in addition to the
information that is required by law - all media briefing and information material must be
non-partisan and give the same factual information about all the candidates and parties.
Distribution of the most important material in writing to supplement any briefing minimises the
possibility of errors in transcription.
Information from previous elections
In assessing what voter information is necessary, the starting point should be to look at (if
available) information from previous elections, particularly relating to turnout and complaints
and to examine data to see whether any particular sections or groups of society are voting
proportionately at a lower level than the average and what comments have been made about lack
of information about the elections or confusion over any particular part of the process. For
example, do voters in a rural area vote less frequently than those in urban areas? Are the elderly
and infirm unable to cast their votes? Do young people have less interest in the process than
older ones? Were there complaints about secrecy or confusion about how to cast the vote?
What numbers of electors spoilt their ballot paper? Was the absentee voting process easy to
understand?
Electors who never vote
In the United Kingdom (GB) an analysis of turnout at Parliamentary Elections and Local
Elections shows that a minimum of around 20% of the electorate do not vote - some of this is
positive abstention but around 10% have probably never voted. Some of this may be due to the
lack of information in the education system as to how the voting process works. It is important
in looking at voter information to address what can be done at school and college level to ensure
that all young people when they reach voting age are aware of how the voting process works,
what elections take place in their country and how to ensure that they are registered to vote.
Undertaking sessions with young people in schools or colleges and running mock elections is a
useful way of ensuring that there is no 'mystery' in the election process.
Where young people become eligible to vote on a specific day - e.g. their 18th birthday an
information pack about the democratic process and a welcome to the voters lists can be sent.
Another option, used in Hungary (HU), is to issue each young person when they first vote with a
commemorative coin.
Information about voters lists
Another and separate area where maximum information is necessary relates to registration of
voters. Whatever system is used, it is a fundamental point that if a citizen is not included on the
Voters` Lists, they are normally unable to vote. There is separate topic area covering voter
registration and included in this is reference to ways in which steps are taken to ensure that
everyone entitled to be registered is included on the voters list. The message about voter
registration is often harder to get across and wide publicity about the registration process is
absolutely essential. This issue cannot be overemphasised - the single most common reason for
people not being able to vote is because they paid insufficient attention to the voter registration
process.
Registration processes vary greatly from those relying on circulation of material to potential
electors, leaving the elector to return this by post, i.e. there is no person to person canvass at all,
to systems which rely entirely on the electors turning up at registration centres to register to vote
relying virtually 100% on face to face contact between the potential voter and the registration
official.
When will the elections be held?
The starting point in the voter information process relative to particular elections is to inform and
advise voters well in advance of the polling period that elections will be held, what those
elections are for and what the citizen should do to ensure they can participate. The most
effective way for this information to be disseminated is through radio, newspapers and then
depending on local circumstances through posters and local meetings. Television is very
effective where access is widely available. In many cases the information about the forthcoming
elections will already be widely available, so it is a question of judging what additional work the
organisation or person responsible for the election should carry out.
Most citizens know when a national election is taking place - high profile national elections often
dominate news coverage for weeks or months in advance. The parties and candidates are
themselves trying to maximise coverage and interest about the elections. The electoral law
usually requires the electoral manager to take specific actions to publicise the forthcoming
election but these are often limited to displaying posters in the constituency or electoral area.
Information about where and how to vote and the candidates
When the polling day or days are fixed, further consideration can be given to the information to
be made available, once it is certain that elections will be contested. This information should
concentrate on informing the voter of where to vote and the process. It is essential that
information disseminated from the electoral manager deals with process and does not give
information which could in any way be regarded as partial in respect of any particular candidate
or group of candidates or parties.
Where changes to the electoral process are made or where elections with substantial variation
from normal practices are held it is highly desirable to disseminate information on the revised
process targeted at the effect of the changes. Judgement on the most effective method will
depend on local circumstances. Examples are:-
- Television - advertisements show how the voter progresses through the polling station
- Radio - advertisements explaining the process
- Newspapers - to include graphics to show the voting process
- Posters - for distribution at local level to show in graphic form each step of the voting
process
- Local meetings to explain these
- Short plays or other PR activities to be carried out in public places explaining the process -
examples include events in Market Places (El Salvador (SV)), Travelling Teams ( Angola (AO)),
Domestic NGOs distributing information (Ghana (GH)), information at Sporting Events
(Paraguay (PY))
New Zealand moved to a system of MMP (Mixed Member Proportional) for its 1996 General
Election - this was a significant change from the previous voting process and there was a major
national publicity campaign to inform electors how the new process worked. A booklet was
distributed to voters explaining the system in detail see Voter Information Handout - New Zealand EC and an even more simple
leaflet was prepared see Voter Information Leaflet - New Zealand EC giving excellent information about the system and its
effect. All of this information related to process so voters knew in advance how the new system
worked and what they would have to do in the polling station.
Information can be given in a variety of further forms addressed specifically to the elector. In
many electoral systems, each voter receives a card or letter from the electoral manager detailing
where that voter can vote, the hours of poll and explaining the process. This happens in the
United Kingdom (UK) but the card gives no information about the candidates or issues.
In many United States of America (US) States the elector receives what is described as a sample
ballot paper. This gives the voter information on where to vote, shows copies of the ballot papers
the voter will be marking and other background information about the elections and key issues.
The sample ballot for Sacramento see Code of Conduct - IDEA gives excellent information to the voter - this
is likely to increase turnout and last enable the voter to be fully prepared when visiting the
polling site minimising problems for the poll workers. The one for Sonoma County also in
California see Sample Ballot - Sonoma County, USA again supplies the elector with all the information needed about the
forthcoming election.
The notification to individual voters is often a requirement of the electoral law and it would
normally also require the holding of the poll to be publicised by the publication of notices or
through advertising in the press or official journals.
Much of the United Kingdom practice is enshrined in electoral laws which have changed little
for 50 years. Information consists of the card to the voter and a limited number of notices are
published giving details simply of the candidates who are standing and where the poll is taking
place. The circulation of sample ballots and a proactive information campaign in the media is a
much better way of informing electors.
For their 1996 Federal Elections the Australian Electoral Commission circulated leaflets to every
elector and their annual report 23 includes information about this process - see
Voter Information Activity - Australia. Not only did the Commission get information to every elector but they also used
information from previous elections to target certain areas with extra information where there
were high levels of spoilt (informal) ballot papers. They also ensured that where boundary
changes had taken place the electors in these areas were given specific information as well.
Supplementary Information
As always the competent electoral manager will be looking at ways to supplement this
information both to ensure that the maximum number of electors participate in the process and
also to minimise pressures on polling day.
In some countries local newsletters are published detailing all the polling areas and the
candidates standing for election. There is no issue of abuse of partiality if such publications
include exactly the same information about all candidates such as name, address, and party
affiliation. Candidates can be given a specific number of words to describe their views.
Information in the polling place
There is then the issue of voter information in the polling place itself. The layout and
accessibility of the polling station are important in this respect. On coming into the polling site,
if there are sufficient staff it is extremely helpful for officials to direct voters to the correct
polling station or to advise them where to queue and what documents, if any, to have ready.
Where people gather prior to voting, graphic illustrations showing the process can be displayed.
These can also be used for advance voter information. On entering the polling stations, there
should be a clear and logical progression through the voting process and at each stage the poll
workers concerned should explain clearly to the elector what is required and how to proceed.
When the voter enters the polling booth or equivalent, there should be clear written and / or
graphic instructions within the booth advising the voter how to vote. For example, to mark the
candidates name with a cross or with a tick or to write within the space on the ballot paper the
candidates number, or to place a thumb print against the candidate's name or party symbol or to
apply the rubber stamp to the candidates list or whatever local arrangement is applied. In many
systems, voting papers then have to be placed in envelopes prior to being placed in the receptacle
for ballot papers. Again this should be clearly explained before entering the polling booth and
again in written and graphic form within the booth.
In looking at voter information, the role of non-governmental organisations also needs to be
examined. These vary from country to country, but there are often many NGOs looking at
increasing turnout and encouraging voters to exercise their rights. These are normally
non-partisan and can play an important role in getting messages across to the electors. It is
necessary however to refer to the electoral law to determine what role such organisations are
allowed in the process.
External agencies and international observers do not normally have any specific role in voter
information, except with the specific agreement of the government of the country in which they
are operating. It is common for external agencies to carry out work to assist in the voter
information process, with the approval of normally the electoral commission or government
concerned.
Visual Material
Good quality visual material in the field of voter information often makes much greater impact
than either broadcast material or written material. Whilst it may be an exaggeration, a talented
artist is often worth more than a lawyer when it comes to a voter information campaign, both in
terms of publicity in advance of polling or registration and at the registration or polling process.
Cost and other considerations
Comprehensive voter information activity costs money. The situation is eased where media are
required to carry election information as public service announcements. Public Relations firms
specialise in getting information out to a wide audience - use their expertise to find the most cost
effective solutions. Multi language areas need special attention - it is no use giving out
information in a language only a small percentage of the population understand. Get advice from
people at grass roots level as to what the local population listen to and / or read - high profile and
high cost solutions are not always the most effective.
