With the 2020 election only three months away, many associations are working to ensure that the public has objective, useful information about voting. The latest to to add its voice on the issue is the National Association of Broadcasters, which announced this week a new public service collaboration with the League of Women Voters.

COVID-19 saddles this year’s elections with more than the usual questions and challenges. To help voters understand their rights and options, NAB and LWV is promoting VOTE411.org, a project of the League of Women Voters Education Fund, as a nonpartisan source of information, using social media outreach and public service announcements in English and Spanish.

“The right to vote and a free press are intrinsically linked pillars of American democracy,” NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith said in a news release. “As ‘first informers,’ local radio and TV stations understand the indispensable role they play in helping citizens exercise their right to vote.”

Jeanette Senecal, LWV senior director of mission impact, said concerns about election safety and security related to the pandemic and the use of mail-in ballots make accurate information essential.

“For 100 years, our organization has worked to empower voters and defend democracy,” she said. “This year, as Americans prepare to cast their ballots in the middle of a pandemic, accessible information is more important than ever.”

In a related project, NAB launched a 2020 Election Toolkit in February with the goal of helping local TV and radio stations inform voters about the democratic process in their national, state, and local election coverage.

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