Get inspired: Voting Guide Roundup (February 2024)
2024 is a presidential election year, so newsrooms around the country are using starting to publish Voter Guides. In recent years, voter guides have become a pretty common feature of news websites. However, perhaps I’m a little early, because I found about as many guides from past elections as I did for 2024.
The samples in this round-up show different approaches to helping voters get to the polls and make their selections.
Although some may include endorsements from other organizations, this is not a round-up of editorial board endorsements. Additionally, nonprofit newsrooms aren’t permitted to endorse candidates.
Click through: Screenshots don’t really give you the whole experience, so click a screenshot or the link to give each a deeper look.
Philadelphia Inquirer
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Link: 2023 Democratic Primary Voters Guide
Features:
- It looks like a ballot!
- People can adjust the amount of detail they want
- Easy to use, and links out to additional information to keep focus on things people will see in the voting booth
Comments:
This one is from 2023, but it had some cool functionality and styling that got me excited. Hat tip to Julia Haslanger for suggesting this guide.
The styling on this one is wonderful while remaining functional. It looks like a paper ballot, and it’s easier to read. I think it’s set up so you can color in the bubbles of the candidates you prefer, but this sometimes makes you mouse draw all over the screen.
One cool thing I’ve never seen before is this guide let’s you adjust how much detail you want, from Just Names to Some Details to Tell Me Everything.
One thing I don’t care for on this page: Awful LiveIntent ads disrupting the whole flow and experience.
The 19th
Location: Austin, TX
Link: The states where abortion could be on the ballot in 2024
Features:
- State-by-state summary of which states are putting abortion on the ballot
- Summary includes current law, signatures needed for referenda, and political challenges
- Also includes a summary of states that have already used ballot measures to protect abortion
Comments:
The 19th excels at design. This guide is easy to read, easy to skim, and easy to take action from.
It’s worth noting that voting guides don’t have to be limited to “how to register” and candidate Q&As. This guide fit squarely in The 19th’s mission to report on gender, politics and policy.
Injustice Watch
Location: Chicago, IL
Link: Check your judges: Your guide to the 2024 Cook County judicial primary elections
Features
- Like I know my judicial circuit…oh wait this guide helps me find it
- Super easy icons make it easier to assess candidates at a glance
- “Past Controversies” 👀
Comments:
I live in Chicago, and this is an indispensable resource every election.
I’m pretty informed about what’s going on around me, and I read multiple local news sources every week. Despite that, I have zero clue about the judicial candidates on the ballot every election season. None.
Injustice Watch doesn’t make endorsements, but they collect information about judges and present it in a way that — for me at least — makes it much easier to make decisions.
In addition to biographical information and résumés, guide notes which candidates have past controversies, which are current or former prosecutors. It’s a great resource.
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El Paso Matters
Location: El Paso, TX
Link: El Paso Matters 2024 Primary Election Voter Guide
Features:
- Easy answers to FAQs right at the top
- Links to voter ID required in Texas, which is an obstacle for many voters
- Leveraging the community access of libraries
Comments:
Hat tip to Becky Pallack for this recommendation.
I really like the key dates and voting locations buttons right at the top. This provides quick answers to quick questions, rather than asking someone to scroll and search for something easy.
I also like that El Paso Matters distributed print versions of the guide in English and Spanish at local public libraries.
Fresnoland
Location: Fresno, CA
Link: What you need to know to vote in Fresno County’s March primary election
Features:
- I love that this isn’t regular old red, white & blue or stars and stripes.
- Survey solicits more questions from readers, so they can add to the guide later
- “After Voting” is an interesting idea
Comments:
This one is a bit different because it’s a guide about voting, and not about the candidates people will be voting for.
This answers questions that a lot of people may assume that everyone already knows. But a lot of people may be voting for the first time, so questions like “can I vote if I was incarcerated” or “do I have to be able to read English” are incredibly helpful.
Lookout Santa Cruz
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
Link: Vote 2024: Your guide to the Santa Cruz County primary election
Features:
- Dedicated email address at the top for people to ask more questions
- Quicklinks at the top to jump directly to a section without scrolling
- Lots of photos from the Lookout Santa Cruz library
Comments:
I love how many cutlines credit a Lookout Santa Cruz photographer throughout the post. It appears that Lookout even sent a staff photographer to take photos of most of the candidates. This takes extra work, but it’s good to have faces with the information. Getting people to send you photos can be a real hassle, so it’s great that Lookout took care of this rather than having a bunch of campaign logos or blanks.
This is an example of a voter guide that leans heavy on the candidates. There’s a photo, a blurb and a link to the candidate op-ed piece. After going through the people and measures people will vote for, Lookout curates voting locations and other helpful information at the bottom.
CalMatters
Location: Sacramento, CA
Link: California 2024 Voter Guide
Features:
- English/Spanish toggle right at the top
- Great layout with Quicklink buttons and important dates in a calendar format
- Nice big box for people to submit questions
Comments:
I like the idea of giving people the opportunity to ask questions. I think as this becomes more widespread, we will learn more about how to make people feel welcome and supported when they ask questions.
I like the question box presentation here, but requiring an email will be an obstacle for some people. Maybe I don’t want a response. Maybe I feel like it’s a dumb question. Maybe I’m worried you will put me on a list — unfortunately, lots of publications will.
At the very bottom, there is copy that indicates that CalMatters will allow other organizations to republish this voter guide. I think that’s a great strategy.
Also, compared to the garbage LiveIntent ads on the Philadelphia Inquirer guide at the top, note the unobtrusive California Public Library sponsorship here. This is a much better pairing of newsroom, product and sponsor.
Chicago Sun Times / WBEZ
Location: Chicago, IL
Link: 2024 Voter Guide
Features:
- Mixes reported stories and information without feeling too cluttered
- Nice, big clickable areas to find important information
Comments:
Ballots and voter information covers a lot of stuff, so it’s easy to pile everything on to one page. This often ends up being a jumbled mess. The Sun-Times and WBEZ do a good job of letting different sections breathe, and creating a nice hierarchy with common questions right at the top.
We can assume people mostly want to know what’s on their ballot, since that’s the biggest box to click on.
NJ Spotlight
Location: New York, NY
Link: NJ Decides 2024
Features:
- Leads with buttons for people to check their voter registration, or register for those that haven’t
- Nice use of the sidebar to make finding a district, key dates, and other info separated from the featured election coverage.
The Oklahoman
Location: Oklahoma City, OK
Link: Oklahoma primaries: Everything you need to know for the 2024 presidential election
Comments:
Someone will think this is harsh, but putting an awful autoplay video from Lorne Michaels to intro your election guide is piss poor judgment. Why would I take this seriously if you’re treating it like a joke?
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