About
The Election Officials Communication Tracker is a dynamic research project led by Dr. Thessalia Merivaki, an Associate Teaching Professor at Georgetown University, and Dr. Mara Suttmann-Lea, an Associate Professor of American Politics at Connecticut College. The project monitored and evaluated social media communications from US state and local election officials across platforms such as Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, and YouTube. This initiative combined detailed monitoring with data-driven recommendations to help official election offices improve transparency and engagement.
October 1 – October 30, 2024 (23,978 posts). “After Polls Close: Making Sure Votes Are Counted Accurately“, November 22, 2024
Challenge
Monitoring such a large scale of data collection from social media while overcoming various challenges due to restrictive platform policies, have led the researchers to partner with the Algorithmic Transparency Institute (ATI) and utilize their social media tracking platform – Junkipedia. Through the use of Junkipedia, which leverages Bright Data’s tools and technology, their collaboration has enhanced the Tracker with robust tracking, analytical, and labeling tools. By enabling these tools, the researchers were able to focus their efforts on the analytical aspects of the study with a constant flow of social media posts to their Tracker.
Impact
The Election Officials Communication Tracker has led to significant changes in practices. Through its analysis of the 2022 and 2024 election cycles, the Tracker found that officials who emphasized bipartisan messaging and clear procedural updates were more successful in fostering trust and reducing confusion during complex electoral processes. The researcher’s report “After Polls Close: Making Sure Votes Are Counted Accurately” revealed that election offices implementing these practices saw reductions in conspiracy theories taking hold within their jurisdictions. The project’s work has influenced the communication strategies of election agencies like the US Election Assistance Commission, helping standardize messaging practices across diverse regions. These strategies are now incorporated into national toolkits designed to improve voter outreach.
Full Research: After Polls Close: Making Sure Votes Are Counted Accurately
