your vote is your voice, and every voice matters
TRANSCRIPT
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
[email protected] | [email protected] | @gotsowell