Voter Registration Drive: A Public Relations Campaign for the League of Women Voters KC

Campaign overview

This project developed a complete public relations campaign for the League of Women Voters of Kansas City (LWVKC), centred on a voter registration drive at the University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC) campus in March 2023.

The core problem: adults aged 18–29 have the lowest voter turnout rate in the United States — approximately 45% compared to 72% for voters aged 65 and over. The campaign aimed to close this gap locally, targeting UMKC students who were eligible but not yet registered.

Research findings

Analysis of LWVKC’s existing communication channels showed limited social media activity around voter registration events, and no prior drives at UMKC specifically. The primary competitive landscape was national organisations like Rock the Vote, which operate online at scale but lack the local event infrastructure that LWVKC could offer.

Target demographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau and Pew Research Center confirmed that Twitter and Instagram were the primary platforms for the 18–29 age group, with one in five under-30 Twitter users reporting daily use too frequent to count.

Strategy and goals

The campaign set a target of 43 new registered voters from this single event — calculated to bring the annual total to 170, up from 128 the previous year across three events. Three tactical channels were integrated:

Social media — Coordinated Instagram and Twitter posts using campus-specific language, clear logistical details, and a QR code linking to the LWVKC website.

Print materials — A flyer and brochure designed for bulletin board distribution across UMKC campus.

Press release — Drafted for placement in the LWVKC newsroom and distribution to UMKC, providing coverage-ready information for local media.

Implementation

Instagram (drop date: March 12):

Hey Roos! We’re so excited to hold our first Voter Registration Drive at UMKC! We will be stationed outside the Miller Nichols Library tomorrow (March 13) between 10am–4pm. Our volunteers can’t wait to help get you all registered! Be sure to bring your driver’s license, passport, or student ID. We hope to see you all at our table!

Twitter (drop date: March 12):

Hey Roos! We’re excited to hold our first Voter Registration Drive at UMKC! We will be stationed outside the Miller Nichols Library tomorrow from 10am–4pm. Be sure to bring your driver’s license, passport, or student ID. We hope to see you all there!

Press release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF KANSAS CITY TO HOLD VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE AT UMKC CAMPUS

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (March 13, 2023) — The League of Women Voters of Kansas City will hold a voter registration drive at UMKC campus. The event will start at 10 a.m. on Wednesday outside the main entrance of the Miller Nichols Library. Volunteers will have a table and signs encouraging students to register to vote, and will show students how to check their registration online.

Volunteers will also hand out cards with a QR code linking to the Missouri Secretary of State website where students can verify their registration status, as well as a link to the League of Women Voters website.

The event will conclude at 4 p.m. In the event of rain or severe weather, the drive will move inside the UMKC Student Union by the main entrance, located on the corner of 51st Street and Cherry Street.

The League of Women Voters of KC plans to return to campus in the fall for a follow-up voter registration drive. For more information, please visit lwvkc.org.

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Evaluation framework

Post-event evaluation was designed around two metrics: the number of new registrations compared to the 43-voter target, and social media engagement (impressions, reach, interactions) compared to the previous year’s baseline. A follow-up email sequence for newly registered voters was planned, including links to the Missouri Secretary of State’s registration verification tool and reminders ahead of the November election.