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POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS Civic Health
Policy Recommendation 9:
States can investigate, invest in and share best practices on activities with elections personnel that help the public engage more directly with the voting system, the voting process and the mechanics of voting.
The Civic Health Subcommittee approved this recommendation expressing the importance of creating activities that demystify the voting process and allow residents to discuss their concerns with elections officials.
Recently, while watching a football game with my 9-year-old daughter, I found myself answering many questions she had about the rules of the game. This experience got me thinking that while any parent could explain the finite rules of football, too few of us could explain the rules for how elections work. Of course, I love football, but how much more important are elections! The last few years have exposed a fundamental deficiency in the understanding citizens have about how we keep elections honest and accessible. In Ohio, we’ve found many creative ways to fight false information and to educate voters about the process. I’m eager to share these ideas with other states and learn from them how we can do even better.”
— Secretary of State Frank LaRose, Ohio
To disprove conspiracy theories about elections and equip people with the knowledge they need to cast their votes, state leaders can invest in public education campaigns that allow residents to develop familiarity with voting machines and the overall voting process. State leaders may consider activities such as:
Inviting state residents to elections centers where they can interact with elections officials and see voting equipment outside of the voting context.
Bringing voting equipment and elections officials to public events while maintaining proper voting machine security.
Working with social media companies to take down misinformation and promote reputable sources of elections information, such as websites operated by state elections officials.
State Examples
To help educate the public on voting equipment and processes, elections officials in Ohio have set up voting booths at county fairs where attendees use actual voting machines to vote on their favorite fair food.1 Officials are available to answer questions about the machines and promote accurate voting information to residents. Importantly, all the same storage and custody rules for the use of voting machines in elections settings also apply when the state brings them to county fairs.
In 2020, four of Michigan’s professional sports teams partnered with the secretary of state, offering their resources for nonpartisan elections administration.2 The Detroit Pistons, Detroit Lions, Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers assisted by:3
Offering the use of their facilities.
Serving as ballot drop box locations.
Hosting voter registration events.
Providing public service announcements promoting accurate information about elections.
In Maine, all incarcerated people can vote, but many do not for a variety of reasons; among them a lack of information on the absentee voting process.4 To fill voting information gaps for incarcerated people, elections officials visit correctional facilities to explain the rules of absentee voting and answer inmate questions.
Additional Resources
National Association of Secretaries of State: #TrustedInfo2022 — https://www.nass.org/initiatives/trustedinfo
Governing: How Can Governments Restore Public Trust in Elections — https://www.governing.com/now/how-can-governmentrestore-public-trust-in-elections
National Association of State Elections Directors: Election Communications Toolkit — https://www.nased.org/electioncommstoolkit
The Council of State Governments State Leader Policy Brief: Increasing Trust in Government — https://web.csg.org/csghealthystates/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2022/05/Healthy-StatesNational-Task-Force-Policy-Brief-Increasing-Public-Trust-in-Government.pdf
