Help and FAQ for eVoter Ohio

Help and FAQ

Below you’ll find some of the more frequently asked questions regarding eVoter:

What is eVoter.com?

eVoter is an unbiased, non-partisan, website where people can enter their address and to see their ballot in the next election. Voters use eVoter because they want to learn about Candidates and make informed choices.

What kinds of things can voters do on eVoter.com?

They can not only see which Candidates are running for which offices, they can also see which Organizations have endorsed which Candidates. Voters can filter their ballot by endorsements, make their selections and then print out their ballot to take to the polls on Election Day. Voters can also print out absentee ballot request forms and use eVoter to help make decisions when voting at home.

Most importantly, Voters can interact with Candidates by supporting them, sharing Candidate Profiles and contributing.

How does eVoter decide which Candidates appear on the site?

All Candidates for office will be listed on eVoter after the date that the ballot is officially published by the relevant election authority. But only Candidates who create an eVoter Candidate Profile will have an interactive listing. Prior to this date, only Candidates who create an eVoter Candidate Profile will appear on our Sample Ballot.

Therefore, we do not decide which Candidates appear on eVoter.

Our Policy on Ballot Order

Users have asked us why the “Ballot Order” (the order in which candidates names appear under the office on the ballot) is not the same as the official ballot order that will be on the printed ballots in the voting booth. On eVoter, the ballot order is randomized from one search to the next, with candidates with profiles appearing first (refresh your browser while on the ballot page to see this feature in action).

The idea behind eVoter is to help voters make informed voting decisions. We want to present information in as unbiased a way as possible. Our concept is that voters will review their ballot, check out candidate profiles and organizational endorsements, check off their choices and print out their own personal sample ballot (or “palm card”) to take with them to the polls as a voting aid. This printout contains only the names of their choices.

Unfortunately, ballot order does matter, particularly in down ballot races (see http://imai.princeton.edu/research/alphabet.html). The reason it matters is because voters don’t know who these candidates are and just vote for the first name they see. Uninformed voting is exactly the problem we seek to address.

If voters have reviewed their ballot on eVoter beforehand, then they will have a printout with them when they vote that effectively negates the effect of the ballot order. They will know who they want to vote for and why they want to vote for them. And they will have a print out that lists the only the names of the candidates they have chosen (and the office they are running for) in an easy-to-read format.

Obviously, in the voting booth, on a paper ballot, there has to be a ballot order. Someone has to be first. We think that on eVoter there is no point in perpetuating that artificial advantage. The point of eVoter is not to show voters what the printed ballot is going to look like, but to show voters who their candidates are - in a way that encourages them to keep clicking to find out more.

Why isn’t there the option to select “None of the Above” on the Sample Ballots?

eVoter does not require you to vote for every office. We are trying to replicate the ballot that you will see in the voting booth as closely as possible. The actual ballot does not include a “none of the above option”.
If you do not wish to vote for a particular office, you do not need to select a candidate for that office. You can then print out an eVoter.com sample ballot that will include only the candidates that you selected and not the ones that you left blank.

As a Candidate, what can I do with my Profile?

On your Profile you will be able to post pictures, your statements and information, your endorsements, and links to your website, Facebook profile, YouTube videos, and press articles. Voters will be able to contact you to support your campaign and you will be able to contact them back. You can even receive donations through your eVoter profile.

What’s the cost to a Candidate to have a Profile on eVoter.com?

The cost of an eVoter Profile is on a sliding scale based on the size of the office you are running for. At any level, the cost of an eVoter Profile is a tiny fraction of the cost of normal political advertising in any other medium. Most importantly, you will be reaching Voters who are visiting eVoter because they are looking to make an informed decision.

What’s the cost to a Voter to use eVoter?

Voters can use all of eVoter’s functionality for free. Voters never pay for any of our services, including: Generating a personalized Sample Ballot, viewing Candidate Profiles, sending support messages to Candidates and seeing Organizational endorsements.

What’s required for a Candidate to create a profile?

During the registration process, we need to ask you a few questions to make sure that your Profile appears in the correct place when voters search for their Sample Ballot. These questions include:

• The level of Office you are running for
• Your name and address
• The exact name and address of your registered Campaign Committee
• The ID Number of your Campaign Committee
• The name of the Treasurer of your Campaign Committee
• The name of your contact person (if not you)
• A primary e-mail address

Can a Voter make contributions to a Candidate using eVoter?

Yes, people can make contributions to a Candidate’s campaign using a Candidate’s Profile page, using our affiliated payment processor. We also provide the Candidate with detailed reports of contributions, including the information necessary to assist in complying with State and Federal election laws and regulations.

As an Organization, what can I do?

On your Profile you will be able to post a picture or logo, write a brief statement about your Organization, endorse Candidates, add links to your website and more. Voters will be able to see your endorsements to help them make the most informed decision they can.

What’s the cost to an Organization to have a Profile on eVoter.com?

The cost is based on the number of endorsements you purchase. Click here to see our Price List (www.evoter.com/organization/pricing) and the Terms and Conditions (www.evoter.com/terms). Endorsements are purchased in groups of 25. You can reuse Endorsements if you choose to remove an Endorsement from a Candidate.

What is required for an Organization to make a Profile?

During the registration process, we need to ask you a few questions to make sure your Profile is complete and easy to find by voters.

• Name of your Organization
• Your name and address
• Federal Election Committee ID
• Contact Person (if other than the person filling it out)
• A primary email address

You will be able to set the password and Quick URL Link during registration.