Section navigation
Case studies "Wychavon District Council: Voting…it's as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4!"
Wychavon District Council: Voting…it's as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4!
Summary of activity
Voting…it's as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4! Wychavon District Council encourage people to use their votes to build the future.
Aims and objectives of the activity
To encourage people to register for, and vote in, the local elections in May 2007, across Worcestershire.
Description of activity
Electoral administrators across the county agreed to work together to maximise their resources in order to publicise the May 2007 elections.
The communications toolkit included:
· Postcards to be included with all Council Tax bills sent out in the County. Planed publication date to be mid March 2007. Printing cost = £350 per authority. There may also be an additional costs for distribution and/ or postage - to be locally determined.
· Joint press releases at all key stages and to utilise the 1234 template to ensure they are eyecatching. Planned commencement to be confirmed.
· Radio interviews as a result of the press released local radio stations will be targeted to maximise the impact and get the message out to the public.
· Local Council newspapers/magazines to include locally produced articles explaining the electoral process and critical dates etc, again using the 1234 graphics.
· Registration Week to involve the Worcestershire Hub in the Electoral Commissions national electoral registration campaign to be held in March 2007.
· Elections Special Magazine to include information about voting, why voting is important and details of candidates standing. The content of this to be generic across the County with the exception of the candidates information. To be published between 11th April 2007 (i.e. after the close of withdrawals of candidature as this is the earliest we can release the information) and 19th April. Costs approximate £20,000 across the County including printing and distribution.
What went well?
Use of branding across the campaign including on emails sent out during election period.
What didnt go so well?
Unfortunately Malvern Hills could not join in with the leaflet because the distribution in that area was too costly.
How was the activity evaluated?
A questionnaire was sent out to 1000 electors in the Wychavon area, chosen at random.
To what extent were the aims and objectives achieved?
39.3% of people said the publicity encouraged them to vote.
Timeline
Work on the branding and design commenced in December 2006 in readiness for the postcards to go out in early March with Council Tax bills. The project closed in July 2007 when the evaluation was completed and reported.
Overall budget
£30,000 (£5,000 per district). Local authorities were able to apply for grants for publicity under the Encouraging Electoral Participation (Reimbursement of Expenses) (England and Wales) Regulations 2006.
Number of people working on the activity
Staff resource implication was relatively low - some of the Democratic Services Managers time pulling it all together and a couple of days of the graphics team.
Related documents
Presiding Officers' training presentation
Wychavon District Council: Voting…it's as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4!
Summary of activity
Voting…it's as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4! Wychavon District Council encourage people to use their votes to build the future.
Aims and objectives of the activity
To encourage people to register for, and vote in, the local elections in May 2007, across Worcestershire.
Description of activity
Electoral administrators across the county agreed to work together to maximise their resources in order to publicise the May 2007 elections.
The communications toolkit included:
· Postcards to be included with all Council Tax bills sent out in the County. Planed publication date to be mid March 2007. Printing cost = £350 per authority. There may also be an additional costs for distribution and/ or postage - to be locally determined.
· Joint press releases at all key stages and to utilise the 1234 template to ensure they are eyecatching. Planned commencement to be confirmed.
· Radio interviews as a result of the press released local radio stations will be targeted to maximise the impact and get the message out to the public.
· Local Council newspapers/magazines to include locally produced articles explaining the electoral process and critical dates etc, again using the 1234 graphics.
· Registration Week to involve the Worcestershire Hub in the Electoral Commissions national electoral registration campaign to be held in March 2007.
· Elections Special Magazine to include information about voting, why voting is important and details of candidates standing. The content of this to be generic across the County with the exception of the candidates information. To be published between 11th April 2007 (i.e. after the close of withdrawals of candidature as this is the earliest we can release the information) and 19th April. Costs approximate £20,000 across the County including printing and distribution.
What went well?
Use of branding across the campaign including on emails sent out during election period.
What didnt go so well?
Unfortunately Malvern Hills could not join in with the leaflet because the distribution in that area was too costly.
How was the activity evaluated?
A questionnaire was sent out to 1000 electors in the Wychavon area, chosen at random.
To what extent were the aims and objectives achieved?
39.3% of people said the publicity encouraged them to vote.
Timeline
Work on the branding and design commenced in December 2006 in readiness for the postcards to go out in early March with Council Tax bills. The project closed in July 2007 when the evaluation was completed and reported.
Overall budget
£30,000 (£5,000 per district). Local authorities were able to apply for grants for publicity under the Encouraging Electoral Participation (Reimbursement of Expenses) (England and Wales) Regulations 2006.
Number of people working on the activity
Staff resource implication was relatively low - some of the Democratic Services Managers time pulling it all together and a couple of days of the graphics team.
Related documents
Presiding Officers' training presentation
