There is separate topic area covering voter registration and included in this is reference to ways in which steps are taken to ensure that everyone entitled to be registered is included on the voters list. The message about voter registration is often harder to get across and wide publicity about the registration process is absolutely essential. This issue cannot be overemphasised - the single most common reason for people not being able to vote is because they paid insufficient attention to the voter registration process. The starting point in the voter information process relative to particular elections is to inform and advise voters well in advance of the polling period that elections will be held, what those elections are for and what the citizen should do to ensure they can participate. The most effective way for this information to be disseminated is through radio, newspapers and then depending on local circumstances through posters and local meetings.
Television is very effective where access is widely available.
In many cases the information about the forthcoming elections will already be widely available, so it is a question of judging what additional work the organisation or person responsible for the election should carry out. Most citizens know when a national election is taking place - high profile national elections often dominate news coverage for weeks or months in advance. The parties and candidates are themselves trying to maximise coverage and interest about the elections. The electoral law usually requires the electoral manager to take specific actions to publicise the forthcoming election but these are often limited to displaying posters in the constituency or electoral area. Information about where and how to vote and the candidates When the polling day or days are fixed, further consideration can be given to the information to be made available, once it is certain that elections will be contested.