The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) has launched three campaigns to encourage Victorian voters to enrol, vote, and identify fact from fiction before casting their ballot in the State election this November.
Deputy Electoral Commissioner, Dana Fleming said the VEC surveyed voters last year on their preference for advertising concepts, themes and feel.
“The overwhelming response was for a reprisal of the VEC’s popular paper (ballot) people animated campaign used in 2014 and 2018,” Ms Fleming said.
“Voters told us they wanted simple, straightforward messaging and they liked the animations.”
She said apart from increasing awareness of how, when and where to vote, the VEC was also rolling out two additional campaigns to combat misinformation and disinformation.
“We’ve just received a report from our online research panel,” Ms Fleming said, “89 per cent of respondents agree that electoral misinformation and disinformation is not acceptable, and the same number feel that the VEC should respond directly to this activity.
“Consequently, we have developed a media literacy campaign to build public awareness on identification of misinformation and disinformation campaigns,” she said.
“We invite voters to visit our website for tips and to check our online misinformation register.”
Ms Fleming said the VEC’s advertising campaigns were also targeting young, disengaged voters and voters who had been directly enrolled.
She said many young voters felt that their vote didn’t make a difference.
“Elections can be won or lost on less than a dozen votes,” the Deputy Commissioner said.
“Every vote really does count.”
Further information on dealing with mis- and disinformation in the State election can be accessed at this PS News link.
