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When election officials are asked how they determine if an election was successful, many will respond, “We managed to stay out of the media.” Understandably, election officials don’t want to be in the national spotlight for the wrong reasons. But obtaining media coverage can be an effective strategy to educate voters, combat misinformation, boost turnout, and build trust. Today, we’re sharing 8 ways that election administrators can engage the media to benefit their election office, and their voters.

1. Be Proactive About Developing Relationships with the Media

If you don’t already have a connection with a local reporter who covers elections, now is the time to establish one. Consider reaching out to all of your local media: print, TV, radio, and even popular podcasts. Your local government’s public information officer may be able to help you identify who to contact and how. Reaching out can be as simple as sending an email or picking up the phone. Or you might suggest meeting for a cup of coffee to introduce yourself. These relationships that you develop will be key to establishing your election office as a source of trusted information. And you’ll be relieved to have these contacts when falsehoods emerge and it matters most.

Take Maricopa County, Arizona for example. Communications Director Megan Gilbertson says the office contacted every print outlet and broadcast station in the area in 2019 and 2020 to explain how their elections department worked. On High Turnout Wide Margins, Recorder Stephen Richer explained how that outreach paid off amid the disinformation following the 2020 election. “We’ve developed relationships with both local and national media…who, I think, have really learned that we are responsible, reliable purveyors of truth,” he says. “They’re able to debunk some of the wildest allegations right from the get-go because they have become educated in the process.”

We’ll go into more detail about the benefits of building media relations in our free upcoming training course, Working with the media. If you want to learn more about how you can develop these relationships, we invite you to join us on June 16th.

2. Put a Human Face and Voice to Your Election Office

Election administrators are humans; they are voters’ neighbors and friends. Putting a human face and voice to the election process is a simple way to build trust with voters, since they’ll be able to witness your passion for the work that you do to keep elections fair and secure. If you’re comfortable with it, consider participating in interviews.

In 2021, Jefferson County, Colorado Clerk and Recorder George Stern participated in an interview that highlighted some of the election office’s innovations and improvements, including their live chat feature on their website. The article features an adorable photo of the clerk with his dog, Huckleberry Finn. That personal detail reminds readers that George is a “regular person” just like them.

In a recent audio interview with NPR, Ottawa County, Michigan Clerk Justin Roebuck mentions his Abe Lincoln collectibles. He says people know he’s “obsessed” with Abe, so they keep gifting them to him. It’s a brief but relatable anecdote—how many of us find ourselves with tons of knick-knacks that we can’t refuse from family and friends? And it offers a moment of levity before the interview transitions to a much more serious subject—how Justin is preparing to deal with poll workers who think the election system is rigged.

Aside from humanizing elections, speaking in interviews is also a great way to communicate complex information that’s best communicated verbally. For example, Elizabeth Gannon, the assistant executive director of the Peoria County, Illinois Election Commission, spoke with the local public radio station about how the county’s hybrid paper-based voting machines work. Not only did she explain how the voting and tabulation process works, but she also used the opportunity to encourage voters to show up for the 2022 primary election.

3.  Invite Reporters to Take a Tour of Your Election Office

Inviting the media for a tour of your election office can be a powerful and cost-effective voter education strategy. “Not every county has the ability to make educational videos,” says Jessica Huseman, editorial director of Votebeat. “But you know who does have the ability to make videos like that? The local news.” Leading up to the 2020 General Election, Newtown, Connecticut Town Clerk Debbie Halstead partnered with a local newspaper to create an instructional video to prepare voters who would be using absentee ballots for the first time.

Local news coverage can also give voters a peek into your office and the dedication of the election administrators who work there. In Janesville, Wisconsin, a reporter documented how the elections staff tests the accuracy of its voting machines. The video starts off with a strong message to voters: “Janesville City Clerk Lori Stottler is confident in how she runs elections, and she wants the public to see it.”

A story from Rochester Hills, Michigan sets a similar tone. A reporter volunteered to count absentee ballots during the 2020 primary election to get an inside look at the election office’s operations. Reflecting on the experience, he writes, “Tina Barton, the city clerk, shakes my hand, thanks me for coming, and says, ‘If I catch you taking notes, I’m going to call the sheriff. No bullshit.’” This story shows just how serious Tina is about upholding the security of elections.

Leading up to their June 2022 primary, election officials in Washoe County, Nevada invited reporters to see how their office processes absentee ballots. The local news produced a video and an infographic about every step that a mail ballot goes through. This coverage helped assure voters that their ballots will be properly accounted for.

4. Propose Stories to the Media

To establish and strengthen your relationships with the media, you might consider proposing stories. For example, before an election, you might reach out to a trusted reporter to share how you’re preparing, and what safeguards are in place. This gives your election office the opportunity to share valuable information with voters at no cost. And there’s no need to craft a formal email pitch; once you’ve established a relationship with a reporter, a quick note or phone call to keep them up to date will suffice.

There are a number of topics that reporters might find newsworthy. For example, you might explain how you’re testing new voting equipment. Reporters can turn that information into a story that assures voters that voting machines are secure, like this one from Mobile County, Alabama. You can also share information about how voters can prepare for an election. This article from Washoe County, Nevada explains the top three mistakes that voters make that lead to ballot rejection. Or you could propose a story that invites voters to your upcoming open house, like this one from Shelby County, Tennessee, or one that announces polling location changes, like this article from Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The article even includes a link to an interactive map where voters can see if they live in an area affected by polling changes.

Once an election is over, you could reach out to a reporter to share the results of your post-election audit. This article from Williamson County, Tennessee boasts 100% accuracy, a point of pride that’s sure to boost voters’ confidence. Plus, it includes some fantastic quotes from the Election Commission Chair Jonathan Duda. “The primary concern that we have at the Williamson County Election Commission is that elections are held with fidelity and transparency, and that voters would have confidence in the results,” he said. “This process has demonstrated that we’re going to go to all efforts to ensure that occurs.”

If you’d like to dig deeper on this topic, we’ll cover best practices for highlighting newsworthy events in our training course, Working with the media, on June 16th.

5. Publish Columns in Your Local Paper

In addition to pitching the one-off story, you might consider suggesting a regular column for your local newspaper. This is a great way for readers to familiarize themselves with your election office, receive trusted election information on a continuous basis, and get engaged with the elections process.

Patricia Carter, election secretary in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, recently suggested that her local newspaper create a “Heroes Of Democracy” series to profile the county’s election workers, as a strategy to recruit more poll workers. The series includes a profile of the county’s longest-serving poll worker—who is 87 years old—and a story of a married couple who serve as poll workers together.

Other election officials have decided to write their own columns. Flagler County, Florida Supervisor of Elections Katie Lenhart has her own “mythbuster” column that addresses voters’ frequent misconceptions. And voters can sign up for a newsletter to receive these stories in their inbox each month. In Mason County, Washington, auditor Paddy McGuire wrote a biweekly newspaper column to educate and engage voters leading up to the 2020 General Election. If you’d like to write for your local newspaper, it can’t hurt to reach out to the editor. “Number one, ask!” Paddy says.

6. Respond to Reporters’ Questions

Engaging with the media can be proactive, like the examples above, and it can also be reactive. Sometimes the media will ask you to help them with a story. If you are able to make the time to respond to their questions, it could be a great opportunity to share accurate election information with the public. Plus, you could develop a working relationship with the reporter that might come in handy at a later date.

Q&A articles in particular can be a way to accomplish multiple goals at once. For example, this Q&A with San Joaquin County, California interim Registrar Austin Erdman addresses logistical questions about how voters could return their ballots for the 2021 gubernatorial recall election. At the end of the article, the reporter asks the registrar, “Any message that you want to deliver to voters in the county?” Austin encourages the public to vote, and he even clears up some misinformation about how to properly fill out the ballot and how votes are counted. These types of Q&As are an excellent way to disseminate important messages to voters at no cost to your election office.

With the amount of fake “news” sites on the rise, you might have questions and concerns about which media outlets you should respond to, and which you should ignore. If a reporter contacts you from an outlet that you’re not familiar with, feel free to ask for more information about the focus of the story and who their audience is. The Elections Group recommends, “If it becomes clear that they have no intention of presenting the facts, you can politely decline to engage or respond to their questions in writing.” Choosing to respond in writing gives you a chance to carefully craft your message, and maintain a record of what you said so that reporters can’t distort your meaning.

7. Encourage Poll Workers to Share Their Story

While it’s wonderful for election officials to speak directly with the media, stories from the community can also be a powerful tool to boost voters’ confidence in elections. Poll workers might be willing to write op-eds or letters to the editor to discuss their experiences on election day. These types of stories often generate excellent quotes that commend the hard work of election officials and the security of the process.

In one story from Chicago, Illinois, a poll worker wrote, “I was inspired and shocked by the genuine passion and care each of these individuals brought with them.” He even took the opportunity to recruit poll workers for future elections, writing, “please explore and consider serving as an election judge. The entire process was easy and fulfilling.”

And in another story from New York City, a poll worker reflected on how after her training, she felt empowered to combat election misinformation. “Now I feel like I can actually say, when people are like ‘oh, it’s so easy to vote twice’ or whatever, I’ll be like, ‘no it’s not. I went through the training, I have the handbook, you can’t do that.’”

If you know a poll worker who is a particularly good writer—perhaps a college student who’s an English major, for example—you could ask them if they would consider sharing their story with the press. This guide can help walk them through how to write and submit an effective op-ed. It’s a win-win for both the poll worker and your election office: they get to see their name in the paper, and you and your staff get the recognition you deserve.

8. Collaborate With Your Fellow Election Officials

Remember that you are not the only person trying to combat misinformation and build trust with voters. Consider tapping into your network of election officials in your area or state. If you’re able to collaborate with colleagues, chances are your work will have a greater impact.

The coalition of Bay Area elections officials is a prime example. They have created the Public Trust in Elections Initiative, and set up a website where voters can watch educational videos and read fact sheets. The coalition is also sending out press releases focused on the security of elections.

Election officials in Colorado have also seen the benefits of collaboration. In April 2022, a bipartisan group of county clerks held a news conference to counter unfounded allegations of fraud. According to The Elections Group, the county clerks strategically held the news conference before a planned rally by election deniers, so the group was able to “get ahead of the story and set the tone for media coverage.”

Additional Resources

Telling Our Story: An Elections Communications Guide
The Elections Group recently released a comprehensive communications guide that includes real-world examples of election officials sharing their stories. We’ve included some of those examples in this roundup. The guide provides practical advice for promoting trust, countering misinformation, working with the media, and educating voters.

New Free Course: Working with the Media
Interested in learning more about how to effectively engage the media? Join CTCL on Thursday, June 16th for a 90-minute training, Working with the media, available at no cost to election officials. We look forward to seeing you there! Register here

Cybersecurity 301: Communications
In our free Cybersecurity 301 course, you’ll learn how to build media allies and inform the public about your office’s cybersecurity leadership. Our acclaimed cybersecurity courses are available in a self-paced online format, allowing you to complete the training at your own pace, on your own time. Learn more and register

30 Ways Election Officials Boost Voter Confidence and Trust
Engaging the media is only one strategy for building voter confidence and trust. If you’re looking for more inspiration, our article, 30 Ways Election Officials Boost Voter Confidence and Trust, discusses strategies that election offices can implement both before and after elections, such as testing equipment and conducting audits. It also offers suggestions for communicating with the public to assure them that the election process is both fair and secure.