Pillars of Election Integrity (Education)

Recently several people have reached out to me, frustrated with our poor voter turnout in the recent primary election. I can’t say I blame them. Again, Osceola County (with our 17.26% voter turnout) was near the bottom of the barrel, finishing 64th out of 67 counties in Florida voter turnout.

(Source: https://floridaelectionwatch.gov/CountyReportingStatus)

Historically, Osceola County is either dead last or near last in voter turnout compared to other counties in Florida. This is abysmal and, in my book, totally unacceptable, yet the reasons for such a poor turnout are predictable: Many people simply don't know where to vote, how to vote, when to vote, or if they're even able to vote. To that end, we have created a proven and multifaceted plan, with education and communication being the key.

Here’s an overview: 

1. Plan. Identify specific goals for improvement, what is needed to achieve success, who will be doing the work, and create a schedule for achieving our goals. Identify the expected results.

2. Evaluate. Review the current plan & processes. Improve upon what is working, add new opportunities where appropriate, and scrap those considered to add no value.

3. Engage. Engage and partner with community leaders and groups to foster enhanced voter educational opportunities. Leverage the influence of civic groups & churches, Home & Health care facility providers, educational institutions, party officials, Veterans, etc. to promote greater awareness of voting opportunities and to foster more active involvement in the electoral process. 

4. Communicate. Identify and implement the best means for effectively communicating with the various age, generational, and cultural population groups in our county via traditional education, social media, printed material, or advertising. 

5. Review. At least monthly, evaluate progress towards stated goals, review educational and registration processes, and adjust based on expected results and tangible & measurable metrics.

Of course, this is the 30,000-foot view. The devil is always in the details and each of these points has several sub-points that support the main objective.

If you’d like more details, please reach out to us with your contact information and I’ll be happy to give you a call.