The Rules for Candidate Entries

Terms of Participation

Candidates receive the following terms of participation in every email we send them inviting them to participate:

By providing content to VOTE411, I agree to the following terms:

The content shall not, in any way, make reference to other candidates for this office or to another candidate's qualifications, character, or activities. Moreover, the content shall not contain any demonstrably false, slanderous, or libelous statements or any obscene or profane language, statements or insinuations.

The photograph submitted should provide a clear view of the candidate’s face, be of a sufficient resolution for display on the site, and not feature anyone who is not the candidate. The photo should be no more than two years old. I understand that photos may be rejected if the image contains other people or animals, features props or prominent text, or contains violent, sexually explicit, or other inappropriate content.

I accept responsibility for the truth and accuracy of the content submitted to VOTE411 by myself or my designated preparer.

If you are not sure whether the candidate’s statements or photo violates these terms, ask your CoCo or liaison for a second opinion. You do not need to decide whether the candidate made any false, slanderous or libelous statements because the candidate is responsible for the submission, not us. The candidate agreed not to include such material when agreeing to the terms of participation. If you are notified by a VOTE411 user that part of a candidate’s page may contain false, slanderous, or libelous statements, contact the candidate letting them know that a user believes the terms of participation were not met. If you need help brokering a solution (most candidates quickly comply), don’t hesitate to ask for help.

We do not edit content for any reason; our motto is “Let the Voters Decide!”  Do not make judgments on grammatical structure or misspelled words. Aside from adhering to the terms of participation, a volunteer must not intrude on or influence the candidate’s content. For example, poor spelling is not a valid reason to reject an item. The candidate must edit the error, if he/she catches it.  If the candidate violates the rules, let them know and give them an opportunity to correct it.  If they do not take action, notify your CoCo and Liaison for further action to take the candidate’s response down if necessary.

Referring to Opponents

The written content submitted to VOTE411 by candidates must not refer to an opponent by name or office, either positively or negatively. They should write about themselves and what they will do if elected. 

Examples of content to reject:

• Mentions opponents by name

• Says "my opponent," "the other candidate," etc.

• Includes material attributed to a 3rd party, (for example, a quote or a comment) which includes such a reference to an opponent.

Examples of statements that are allowed:

• "I am the candidate who...." It's really like saying "I...."

It is OK to say: "I am the only Board member who...."

• Any reference to a candidate for another office: "I support Presidential candidate xxxx.”

Candidates May Quote from Endorsement or One-Sided Articles.

Candidates may provide a link to articles that endorse them on their VOTE411 page, but hyperlinks do not appear in the question/answer section on the front end.   

Candidate Videos 

Candidate videos cannot be uploaded to the site but a link may be included.

Candidate Photos 

Photos must be square and provide a clear view of the candidate’s face, be of a sufficient resolution for display on the site, and not feature anyone who is not the candidate. The photo should be no more than two years old and may not contain other people or animals, or feature props other than the U.S. flag.  The image may not contain text, or violent, sexually explicit or other inappropriate content.

If the candidate asks for assistance, the CoCo should decide how much help to give to candidates. Be sure that you offer all candidates the same type of help, if requested. You should never enter or change any candidate data unless the candidate has specifically given you the input and your team has agreed to support candidates in this manner.

The Minimum Content Requirements for Participating are:

• Answering at least one question.  Candidates may submit a photo but they are not considered to be participating unless they answer one or more questions.

Be sure to annotate your Tracking Sheet when the candidate is participating (one or more questions answered).  You should also check your cavote411 email daily in case candidates have questions or problems.  If a candidate wishes to unsubscribe, move them from “Invited” to “Responded”.  That way you won’t keep inviting them.  It is a best practice to follow up with candidates often in the first few weeks after the invitation.  You may need to make phone calls to ask if they received the invitation email, which sometimes go into a spam folder.  Annotate your tracking spreadsheet with each contact attempt with the date of contact to keep all of your team members informed.

Candidates can edit their information and answers to questions at any time up until the close of voting on Election Day, but we encourage all candidates to complete their profile before ballots begin to be mailed out on February 5.