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Voter Education

Helping America Vote

About the Quick Start Guides: The EAC's Quick Start Guides are intended to familiarize local election officials with various topics

they will likely encounter in election administration. The guides are a starting point to identify areas of concern and give officials a

broad idea of factors they should consider in approaching a given topic.

What is Voter Education? 

Voter education is the act of providing voters with basic information about the voting process and

elections. Voter education materials can be delivered through events, websites, mailings, and

advertising. Some topics covered by voter education materials include how to register to vote, viewing

a sample ballot, or providing information about accessible voting.

Identify Key Topics

The Basics – Provide voter education materials that cover the essential things every voter needs to know, 

 for example: registering to vote, checking or updating voter registration, change in precinct or redistricting,

when and where to vote, sample ballots, and accessibility. 

Common Voter Questions – Create materials that try to anticipate common voter questions. These may

include information on tracking mailed ballots, what to do if you make a mistake on your ballot, and what to do

if you've recently moved. A guide to Best Practices for FAQ websites can be found on the EAC website:

https://www.eac.gov/best-practices-faqs-election-officials.

Time-Sensitive Information – Identify the key dates and deadlines that affect voters during the election

cycle. These include Election Day, voter registration deadlines, early voting periods, and information about

voting by mail. 

New Statutes and Court Rulings – Review any legal or judicial changes since the last election cycle. Make

sure these changes have been incorporated into all instructions and materials, and thoroughly explain these

changes to voters. 

Be Clear, Concise, and Consistent 

When writing voter education materials, use plain language that can be easily understood by someone with

little knowledge of the topic. Highlight any important dates or deadlines and walk through common procedures

with every step voters need to know. 

Voter education materials should be short and only focus on one topic at a time. When possible, keep written

material to less than one page of text and videos to less than one minute. 

Information may appear in multiple places—on an official website, on social media, or printed materials. Be

sure that this information is consistent and up to date. 

Meet Voters Where They Are 

Ask yourself what makes your community unique. Are there any

colleges or universities? Is there a large community of retirees or

language minorities? Is there a large community of UOCAVA voters?

Every community has unique needs and understanding those needs

should inform the type of voter education materials that you provide. 

Use online advertising to reach voters on social media and traditional

media websites. If you live in a college town, consider using Snapchat,

TikTok, or Instagram. 

Contact local organizations and offer to provide election information

at their meetings. 

Social Media Spotlight

Verify your social media

accounts. This will help voters

understand that your accounts

are sharing official and

accurate information. 

May 1, 2022 v. 1.0 EAC | Helping America Vote

eac.gov clearinghouse@eac.gov @EACgov @eacgov1 @us.eac