ABC affiliate KXTV in Sacramento, California, has launched a voter engagement initiative ahead of the November election. The goal of the multifaceted initiative is to provide voters with important, nonpartisan information and encourage them to participate in the upcoming election in an informed manner.
In its press release announcing the move, the station said the initiative, led by ABC10’s Race & Culture team with support from across the station, includes a comprehensive voter guide covering voter registration, proposals, candidates and local action, and is intended to serve as a one-stop shop for everything needed for the upcoming election.
From August through November, the ABC10 team will conduct in-person surveys at community events and gathering places – such as public libraries, festivals and cultural centers – focusing on low-turnout areas and communities with high populations of people of color to provide them with voter information and resources.
The outreach efforts conducted will help shape ABC10’s election coverage. During regular newscasts, the news team will answer questions raised at community events or sent in by viewers. In addition to the content-rich on-air reporting, all election-related content and the ABC10 Voter Guide will be available at www.ABC10.COM/VOTE.
“Access to credible, easily understandable and impartial information is a powerful tool, especially during an election,” said Risa OmegaPresident and CEO of ABC10. “Informed voting can seem daunting, with dense language that can be confusing and difficult to understand. At ABC10, we are committed to educating our community about the importance of voting and the voter registration process, and giving a voice to those who might otherwise choose not to participate in the voting process in November.”
This move shows that local stations are becoming more committed to informing their viewers about the election process. A few weeks ago, NBC affiliate station WXIA in Atlanta wrote an article about political ads on its programming. We asked WXIA about it and they told us: “Understandably, we get a lot of questions from Georgia viewers about the amount of political ads and commentary on their content,” said Kristie GonzalesPresident and General Manager. “We felt it was important to inform our viewers of the rules and regulations that 11Alive must follow as an FCC-licensed station.”
ABC10 said its goal remains to simplify information and provide nonpartisan, straightforward details to help people vote with confidence.
“As a trusted source of verified information, I continue to be incredibly impressed by the dedication of our ABC10 news team, who are committed to utilizing and mobilizing every available resource to deliver actionable information to our viewers,” said Monika DiazABC10 Content Director. “Our entire team can be very proud of the community impact our collective efforts have, especially during crucial times like the upcoming November election when it comes to educating, supporting and engaging the underserved and all communities.”
