How to Increase Civic Organization Election Voter Participation

Civic organizations often follow the same processes as an association election process. However, civic organizations differ in that their primary goal is to promote the civic and social interests of their members. 

This is why maximum voter participation is essential to a successful election. Civic organization elections can increase voter participation by promoting the election well in advance, sending customized automated reminders to voters, and by offering more accessible ways to submit ballots.

Ways to Get Voters Involved

The best practices for civic organization elections include following civic organization election regulations and communicating election processes and timelines effectively. By consistently following a civic organization’s bylaws regarding elections, voters will feel more confident that their votes truly matter and they will be heard.

Here are a few other ways to improve voter participation:

Make Election Timelines Accessible

If the organization’s bylaws state clear timelines and processes for elections and candidate nominations, this information should be accessible to all members. Organizations can send out reminders via monthly newsletters, reminders during meetings, and posted on prominent bulletin boards. Members should know how and when they need to submit any candidate nominations or ballots.

Send Automated Reminders

If the organization spans across a region or reaches a global scale, it can be more challenging to reach every member. ElectionBuddy’s all-in-one elections software allows organization leaders to send automated reminders of election processes, the election date and regulations, and more. These reminders can be sent over email or by short message service (SMS) to ensure they reach the highest number of voters.

Promote on Social Media

Large organizations with a high amount of public involvement can promote their upcoming election on social media. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram can be a great way to reach a wider audience and increase online engagement with the organization. Users can like, share, and comment on these announcements to drum up more excitement around the election.

Make It Personal

Many organizations find that sending out reminders and announcements that include the recipients’ names on them helps increase voter participation. This small change to reminders and announcements can make a huge difference because voters feel more personally connected to the election; it can also make the voters feel like valued contributors to the civic organization and reminds them that their voice matters.

ElectionBuddy allows civic organizations to pull voter information from numerous platforms, including Gmail, MailChimp, and member management systems. This makes contacting members on a personal level quick and easy.

Offer Multiple Ways to Vote

Civic organizations should organize elections that allow for multiple ways to submit ballots. Many organizations make the mistake of assuming voters are disinterested when they experience low voter turnout, but many voters may want to be involved but they can’t make time in their schedules. Members who are sick, out of town, or cannot vote in-person often feel excluded from many elections. 

Online elections are a simple, secure, and user-friendly way to increase voter participation by making the election more accessible. Voters can simply click on a link that is emailed to them, input their unique voter identification and information, and submit their ballots from anywhere. These elections can be easier to manage because they allow for real-time vote tabulation and with ElectionBuddy, integrating third-party independent verification has never been easier.

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