your vote is your voice, and every voice matters

your vote is your voicea n d e v e r y v o i c e m a tt e r s

National Voter Registration Day Media Campaign 2012

Oregon Secretary of StateJacqueline Sowell

May 20, 2014

Our understandings:1. When you register someone young, you create a voter for life.2. Every vote counts, and every voice matters.3. Civics education is the basis of an informed electorate.

National Voter Registration Day (NVRD)

The communications team in 2012:

Andrea Cantu-Shomus

The people behind the campaign

communications director

policy analystJosh Goldberg

social media and web strategistJacqueline Sowell

Overview of the 2012 campaign1. Registered as participating state with NVRD.org website.2. Leveraged NVRD.org and NASS NVRD tool kits.3. Initiated Governor's proclamation.4. Created Rock the Vote video with Kate introduction and voter registration form

instructions. 5. Did outreach to schools, county clerks, local elected officials to participate.6. Distributed Rock the Vote video, voter registration forms and civics curriculum to

participating high schools.7. Held Facebook event inviting people to get their high school to participate and

published blog articles about our progress.8. Submitted OpEd to press around state.9. Counted down to NVRD in social media and website.10. Tweeted updates while traveling with Kate on NVRD.11. Used electronic billboards for NVRD public service messages.12. Set up TV news, radio and print press coverage.13. Profiled elections civics teachers before, during and after.

The to-do list

Partner with NVRD.org

http://www.nationalvoterregistrationday.org/

Benefits:•National visibility•Media kits and sample social media•Coordinated campaigns, including hashtags

Use the NASS toolkit

Toolkit contains samples:• Tips for celebrating• News releases• Letter to members of Congress• Proclamation• NASS National Voter Registration

resolutions• Calendar of state voter registration

deadlines• Fact sheet• Voter registration resources by state

NASS Toolkit

Proclaim it

Make a video!

View it on YouTubeWe partnered with Rock the Vote to produce a seven-minute video, explaining the history of voting rights, how to vote in Oregon and how to fill out the voter registration form.

read this article online

Blog it

read this article online

Blog updates

read this article online

Blog outcomes

Submit OpEdsread this article online

read this article online

And articles with video

Encourage school news coverageread this article online

School districts published articles and/or videos: • Portland • Salem-Keizer• Stayton

See the Lincoln HS video >>

Promote NVRD on the agency websiteTop of page

Rock the Vote video

Same as billboard design

Promote NVRD on the agency websiteBottom of page

Host a Facebook event

Join me in celebrating Oregon Voter Registration Day.

• Check and update your voter registration at oregonvotes.gov.

• Invite your friends and family to register to vote.• Get your high school to sign up for Oregon Voter

Registration Day.

Facebook interactions

Our posts consistently elicited 30-70 positive responses

Facebook interactions

Map school participation

Broadcast public service messages

Top of page

Electronic billboards on Interstate-5 corridor

Enlist the news media

News media:•TV news – KGW•Radio interviews•Local newspapers

Become a news source:•Secretary of State (SoS) blog•SoS Facebook•SoS Twitter@oregonsos@oregonelectionsUsing hashtags: #KateBrownNVRD

Build up to it

Use Twitter to get the word out beforehand…

Tweet in real time

Tweets started at 8 a.m. on NVRD.

Tweet in real time

We tweeted as we visited each high school...

And participated in the larger conversation on Twitter.

Outcomes of NVRD campaignSecretary of State Kate Brown taught elections civics at four high schools in three counties on September 25, 2012, National Voter Registration Day.

Lincoln – Multnomah County McKay and Stayton – Marion County Sheldon – Lane County

Statistics:• Over 180 high schools representing Oregon's 36 counties actively participated.• Participating schools registered over 2,100 high school students to vote.• Oregon ranked fourth in new voter registrations nationwide per NASS.

The NVRD Campaign satisfied 2009 legislation requiring Schools to adopt a voter education plan. The Secretary of State to provide tools for improving civics education. That students learn how to register to vote as a graduation requirement.

See our NASS Ideas Award entry for further details.

Outcomes of NVRD campaignThe campaign forged new ground by employing a full-range of communications tools: •Traditional news media•Social media: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr•School-based student news coverage•Public service messaging on billboards

There was statewide coverage in the media:•Two articles in the East Oregonian •An article in every other regional newspaper –

o Daily Astoriano Mail Tribuneo Ashland Tidingso Register Guard, etc.

Questions?

Jacqueline SowellSocial Media and Web StrategistOregon Secretary of State

jacqueline.sowell@state.or.us | gotsowell@gmail.com | @gotsowell