Building Capacity to Use Social Media: How Election Officials Can Leverage Content Creation to Provide Accurate Voter Information
As traditional news declines, content creators play a growing role as information sources. This paper proposes frameworks for effective collaboration between creators and election officials and offers recommendations for officials to develop their own social media content.
Traditional information sources like newspapers and television are losing their influence. Today, Americans, particularly young adults, are turning away from legacy media and using social media as their primary source for news and information.
Because social media platforms are designed to encourage passive consumption, they risk exposing people to misinformation. To counter this, election officials must actively intervene to provide accurate, accessible, and trustworthy election information.
This paper examines how state and local election officials can understand and use the content creator landscape to spread credible election information online and meet voters where they are. By outlining the current social media atmosphere, exploring practical models for creator partnerships, and offering guidance for officials to develop their own engaging content, this guide provides a roadmap for modernizing voter outreach.
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Claire Simon is a research assistant with Democracy and the Informed Public and a sophomore at Harvard College, concentrating in Social Studies.
Rob Rock is the Deputy Secretary of State and Director of Administration for the Rhode Island Department of State.
Tommy Gong is the county clerk in Lane County, Oregon. Tommy previously served as the Chief Deputy County Clerk-Recorder for Contra Costa County and the elected County Clerk-Recorder for San Luis Obispo County.
Tova Wang is the director of research projects in democratic practice at the Ash Center. A longtime leader in election reform and increasing political participation among marginalized groups, she previously directed policy and research at the Center for Secure and Modern Elections and authored The Politics of Voter Suppression.
The views expressed in this article are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily represent the positions of the Ash Center or its affiliates.
New Interactive Dashboard Maps the Voter Information Landscape Ahead of the 2026 Midterms
A new interactive dashboard maps where Americans are finding voting information and learning about key aspects of the voting process—from sourcing polling locations to voter registration—ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Developed in collaboration with the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, the National Internet Observatory at Northeastern University, the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation’s Program on Democracy and the Informed Public, and The Civic Health and Institutions Project, the research offers new insights into the voter information landscape in the United States.
Content Creators, Election Administration, and Voting: Can Social Media Be Used to Improve the Voter Information Environment?
In this webinar moderated by Tova Wang, director of democratic research projects at the Ash Center, panelists Julia Angwin, Amanda Yarnell, Tommy Gong, and Brianna Wiggity Weck explore how election officials can leverage social media’s reach to improve public awareness around voter registration, voting, and election integrity. The discussion builds on the Ash Center paper, “Building Capacity to Use Social Media: How Election Officials Can Leverage Content Creation to Provide Accurate Voter Information,” which outlines frameworks for collaboration between election officials and digital content creators.
New Interactive Dashboard Maps the Voter Information Landscape Ahead of the 2026 Midterms
A new interactive dashboard maps where Americans are finding voting information and learning about key aspects of the voting process—from sourcing polling locations to voter registration—ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Developed in collaboration with the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, the National Internet Observatory at Northeastern University, the Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation’s Program on Democracy and the Informed Public, and The Civic Health and Institutions Project, the research offers new insights into the voter information landscape in the United States.
In Appearance Before Congress, Stephen Richer Testifies on Alleged Noncitizen Voting in New Jersey
On Tuesday, September 15, 2026, former Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer, now an Ash Senior Fellow and election administration expert, testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight. The hearing examined allegations that approximately 6,600 noncitizens were improperly registered to vote in New Jersey between June 2023 and June 2024.
