Audio visual applications are widely used by election management bodies (EMBs) for reaching voters.
Common audio visual applications include:
- Radio
- Television
- Audio tapes/Compact Disks
- Video tape
- DVD
- Cinema
- Lasers/holograms
- Multi media
- The internet
Preparing audio video material for public distribution is a difficult task. Skilled, professional advertising companies, audio-visual companies and/or broadcasters are often the best choice for preparing audio visual material for broadcasting or distribution. While these services may be expensive, the difference in quality between professional and amateur audio visual material can make a big difference in the effectiveness of the material.
When using audio visual technology to reach voters, it is advisable to use a mix of different methods. No one audio visual technology is likely to be effective in maximising the impact of an EMB's information campaign.
Television and radio are traditionally the most used and most effective audio visual technologies for informing voters. The relative weight given to television and radio broadcasting will depend on the local patterns of use of these media. In some countries, television has a greater impact than radio in reaching audiences. In others, radio has the greater reach. Advertising agencies will be able to advise on market reach of the various broadcasting alternatives available, so that an EMB can judge where best to spend its resources.
Radio
Public broadcast radio is extensively used in many countries for electoral advertising. It is relatively inexpensive (compared to television) and it has the potential to reach a wide audience. Radio advertising is particularly useful for audiences who have difficulty with printed material for literacy or disability reasons.
Public radio is also particularly effective in linguistically and culturally diverse countries, as the proliferation of 'alternative' radio stations offer a wide range of broadcasts in various languages, appealing to people from a variety of cultures. Radio is also increasingly being 'broadcast' around the world on the internet, increasing its reach still further.
The wide range and reach of public radio broadcasting makes it a very important tool for communicating electoral matters.
Television
Publicly broadcast television is widely used by many electoral authorities for electoral advertising. Like radio, it has the potential to reach a wide audience and is useful for audiences who have difficulty with printed material for literacy or disability reasons. It also has the added benefit of being able to use images as well as sound, making it a very powerful medium. However, television advertising tends to be expensive.
Audio tapes/Compact Disks
Recordings of electoral material on audio tapes and/or Compact Disks (CDs) are a relatively inexpensive way of reaching voters who have special needs or who do not have access to public broadcast radio or television. Tape and CD players are relatively cheap and widely available in many societies.
Material recorded on tape and CD could simply be copies of material designed for broadcast on radio. However, much more detail can be included for little extra expense on tapes and CDs compared to paid radio broadcast material, which is generally restricted to short messages of a minute or two, or even less.
Material recorded on tape and CD can also be tailored to special audiences, in a way that would not be practicable for radio broadcasting. For example, readings of detailed electoral information contained in printed material can be recorded on tape and CD for voters who are unable to read the printed material, for reasons of disability or literacy.
Video tape
Electoral material recorded on video tape has similar virtues to material recorded on audio tape or CD, but with the added advantage of the ability to include visual information. This means electoral messages can be conveyed using images as well as sound. Analysis of the effectiveness of communication methods indicates that many people learn better by seeing information compared to hearing it, making video recordings a powerful learning tool.
Video material could be the same material as used on television, but, as with radio, the relative cheapness of video production and distribution (compared to the cost of television broadcasting) means that much more information can be conveyed by video compared to television.
Video is particularly useful in countries with poor television facilities, where videos tend to be more widely accessible. The challenge for EMBs in these situations is to distribute videos effectively so that target audiences are reached.
Video is also a very useful tool for electoral education for schools and other community groups. Videos can be used in purpose-built electoral education facilities, or for electoral education sessions held in schools, community centers and the like, either presented by EMB staff or by local teachers.
DVD
Digital Video Disk technology is relatively new, and the reach of people with DVD players is (at the time of writing in 2001) relatively small compared to people with audio tape, CD, and video players. However, the reach of DVD players can be expected to increase over time.
DVD recordings can combine the virtues of audio, video and multi-media presentations in a portable format similar to CD recordings.
Cinema
Cinemas can be used for electoral information communication to voters in a similar fashion to television advertising. The effectiveness of cinema advertising compared to television would depend on the local audience reach of cinema compared to alternative media.
Lasers/holograms
Lasers and holograms are comparatively specialised uses of technology for communicating electoral information. Lasers and holograms can be used for dramatic effect in presentations and displays in electoral education facilities. For example, lasers and holograms can be used as part of pre-recorded multi-media presentations for school groups. In Canberra, Australia, lasers and holograms are used by the Australian Electoral Commission at its electoral education centre to give the appearance of 'live' miniature presenters talking and interacting with props in presentations for school groups.
Multi media
Multi media material can be distributed on CD-ROM, DVD and the internet to give a more interactive, non-linear form of information presentation compared to radio, recorded audio, television or video material. Multi-media material, which generally has to be run on a computer equipped with speakers, combines audio, still images and moving video images with the flexibility of computerised presentation to present users with an informative, entertaining medium.
Multi media material can give the user the option of viewing material in an order chosen by the viewer, rather than a specified linear order, as is the case with television or video material.
Multi media material is well suited to conveying complex material, and is particularly useful for electoral education for school students. However, it is relatively expensive to produce, and an EMB will need to decide whether the return on using such material is worth the expense.
The internet
The increasing spread of internet access is also increasing the importance of the internet as an electoral communication medium. See Internet for more information.
