Information Campaign Focus
While there are standard issues that need to be covered in all voter information campaigns, the information emphases will vary according to the particular voting environment. Specific geographic areas or cultural groups with a history of low participation may require a greater emphasis on all information issues. Any changes to election systems or procedures should be given high profiles in information campaigns. For example:
- Where there have been changes to electoral district boundaries, greater emphasis on advertising voters' appropriate voting stations will be needed.
- Where there are significant new participants in the election process, or where voter registration levels are low, considerable emphasis may need to be given to information on voter eligibility issues.
- Where there have been changes in voting systems, intensive information on how to mark and cast a valid ballot will be needed.
- In areas assessed as being at high risk of voter fraud or manipulation, intensive information on voting operations integrity controls may assist in deterrence.
(For further discussion of the management of voter information campaigns, see Voter Information and Voter Information Activities.)
Voter Information Content
Information provided to voters should promote the awareness of:
- the voting facilities that are available to voters and who is eligible to use them, including special voting facilities such as early voting, absentee voting, mobile voting stations, assistance for disabled voters or voters of low literacy (see Information on Voting Eligibility and Methods);
- the locations of voting sites, the geographic areas serviced by them, and the hours they will be open (see Information on Voting Locations and Hours);
- What is expected of the voter at the voting station, e.g., documents to bring, forms to be completed, services provided by polling officials (see Information on Voting Station Procedures);
- how to mark and cast a ballot correctly (see Information on How to Ensure a Vote is Valid);
- the overall integrity of the election process (see Information on the Integrity of the Voting Process).
Under some election systems, and particularly for referendums, there may also be a requirement for the election management body to provide voters with information on the candidates contesting an election, or on the positive and negative arguments regarding propositions being put to the voters in a referendum.
To promote equity and accessibility to voter information, in some systems the information content that must be provided to all voters and the manner in which it must be provided is specified in the legal framework for the election. These minimum standards are reference points from which effective voter information programs can be developed. While it may be important that information materials refer to or cite references to the legal framework, effective methods of information transfer need more than a statement of the law. Creativity in devising messages and formats, attuned to the cultural environment, that will maximise the transfer of information to voters is essential.
(For further information on the content of voter information campaigns, see Other Considerations.)
Information to Political Parties and Candidates
It is in the interests of election administrators that political parties and candidates are provided with accurate information on all the processes concerned with voting. Political parties will be used as a source of advice on issues such as voting procedures and methods, locations and hours for voting by many voters. It is preferable that they are provided with relevant official voter information materials, rather than being left to their own, possibly inaccurate, understanding of processes as the basis for information they provide to voters. Briefing sessions for parties and candidates (see Training for Parties and Candidates) will also be useful in this regard.
