Election 2020: Communication Tips for a Successful GOTV Program during COVID-19

April 14, 2020

By Tori Ellington

During these unprecedented times everyone is shifting strategies, but that does not mean abandoning your GOTV efforts. Here are 10 tips to remain effective during the uncertainty of COVID-19.

Email: One of the most effective communications strategies, email has become more important during this crisis. Employees and members are constantly checking email and paying closer attention as it has become their primary communication tool.

CEO Letter: Employees and members are looking to leadership for guidance now more than ever. If a CEO or leadership position emphasizes the importance of GOTV, it will be well received.

Your Organization’s COVID-19 Update: Include a GOTV article in your communications sharing how your organization is handling the health crisis.

Track Changes to Voting: Many states have postponed primaries or expanded absentee and mail-in voting. Stay updated by tracking changes via The U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s COVID-19 resource page or visiting gov/election-office and navigating to any state or local election office website.

Communicate Changes: Let your audience know of any changes to voting in their states and how they can safely cast a ballot.

Emphasize Safety: As always, let it be known that everyone’s safety and health is your number one priority. Encourage mail-in or non-contact ways of voting, and remind members or employees to be careful and use good judgment.

Social Media: Make it fun! Whether it be on your internal forum or on your company’s public page, encourage people to share that they voted from their homes and use a creative hashtag.

Registration Reminders: Send a reminder that a good use of extra at-home time is updating your voter registration if you have gotten married and changed your name, moved recently or have not voted for three or more years.

Keep it Positive: People are welcoming non COVID-19 updates, so remind them of the importance of voting during an election year, despite the hardship.

Create an Information Hub: Whether it’s dedicating space on your corporate intranet or adding to an existing PAC or grassroots website, set aside a space to direct your stakeholders for more information and external resources about voting changes, registration or absentee voting, polling places and sample ballots.