ELECTIONS

"I Choose to Vote" Campaign

In the period from April 15 to July 15 2004 , CeSID had many activities concerning the preparation, organization and implementation of the campaign “I choose to vote”. The campaign was aimed at motivating voters in Serbia to cast their vote at the presidential elections scheduled for July 13 and July 27 2004 , in the Republic of Serbia .

Since April 2004, CeSID's creative team worked on preparation of the strategy of the campaign, development of slogans and design of materials for the campaign.

Campaign – starting points

CeSID approached preparation of the strategy, slogans, and materials for the campaign from the following premises:

• The institution of the president of the Republic of Serbia , the importance of elections, as well as the importance, strength, complexity of the right to vote had lost some of its value, as a consequence of the last three unsuccessful electoral cycles in the course of 2002-2003

• The turnout threshold (50% of the voting body) was cancelled. However, it seemed that the population was not completely introduced to the fact that President would be elected regardless of low or high turnout.

• Candidates often send different conflicting and/or complex messages. This fact could potentially increase confusion and thus even more demotivate voters.

Methods of communication

Maintaining an affirmative tone, CeSID's campaign had as its aim:

• Building of voter's awareness of the importance of elections

• Building voters' awareness of the importance and strength of voters' rights

• Building voters ‘awareness of the importance and authority/competence of the role of the president of Serbia

• Informing voters on the fact that electoral census did not exist any longer and that President would be elected regardless of high or low turnout

Design of the campaign

Material for the campaign included TV videos, flyers, stickers, posters and direct mail. The campaign had nonparty, neutral and very positive image.

CeSID's creative team designed three videos, one type of stickers, two types of posters, two types of flyers and composed and designed two letters for direct mail.

Slogans of the campaign

The guiding slogan of the campaign was: “I choose to vote”.

Supporting slogans were:

• Democracy is constantly being conquered
• If you do not choose, others will

The stages of the campaign

The campaign had two stages:

The first stage of the campaign started on May 15 and lasted to June 12. This part of the campaign had educational character since citizens had not been informed enough about changes in the Electoral Law and the fact that the electoral census had been cancelled.Citizens had not been presented with the fact that president of Serbia would be elected regardless of the turnout at the elections.

The second stage of the campaign was carried out in the period from June 15 to June 26. CeSID continued stating the fact that there was not the turnout census anymore, that is, that one out of two candidates would be elected for president of the Republic of Serbia with a five-year mandate.

Direct approach to voters implied:

• A door-to-door campaign
• Direct mail

Door-to-Door Campaign

Between the 2 elections, in the period from June 19 and 25, CeSID organized a Door-to-Door campaign, which was carried out in Belgrade , Nis , Novi Sad , Subotica , and Novi Pazar. Within this part of the campaign 500 CeSID's activists were engaged: 350 in Belgrade , 50 each in Nis and Novi Sad , 26 in Subotica and 24 in Novi Pazar.

According to the original plan, it was envisaged visiting of 17 000 households by the teams. However, their efficiency exceeded the original plan, and just in Belgrade municipalities the teams managed to visit 25 000 households and thus include 75 000 voters.

Materials for the campaign were adjusted to the appropriate language in parts where representatives of the minorities lived.

Direct Mail

Direct mail in circulation of 300 000 before the first round and 50 000 between the two election rounds was sent to addresses of citizens.

The content of the mail was related to the cancellation of the electoral census of 50%, the importance of elections, strength and importance of each vote.

Indirect approach to voters implied:

• Distribution of printed material
• Media campaign (TV stations and the press)
• PR/Communication component
• Citizens' forums activities

Citizens' forums

Citizens' forums organized gatherings in almost fifty municipalities and gave the local media press releases related to the key points of CeSID's campaign: cancellation of the turnout threshold, the importance of elections, and the authority held by the president, the strength of each vote…

A significant numbers of the local media both the press and the electronic media made CeSID's reports public.