2 min read
The elections across Europe gave over 500 million people the opportunity to cast their ballot. NationBuilder worked with campaigns across all of Europe for national and European Parliamentary elections; as well as numerous advocacy campaigns supporting voter engagement and education.
Our customers were innovative, agile and shaped the elections in their respective countries. There were a lot of new and old tactics used throughout these campaigns to build trust with voters, register new voters, fundraise and shape the course of history. These trends are here to stay as we continue into the remainder of elections left across the globe in 2024.
1. Relational organising was the backbone of campaign strategies
Organising is no longer a side strategy; it was at the core of the campaigns in these elections. These campaigns increasingly adopted organising models inspired by successful U.S. tactics. We saw more customers using distributed leadership and peer-to-peer initiatives to increase trust with their voters in this election cycle.
Scalable digital infrastructure was critical. We saw an increase in the use of a network model, campaigns need systems that can expand and adapt to support multiple initiatives under a unified manifesto. This means robust technology that doesn’t just keep up—it scales with them. Campaigns found that a centralised hub for managing their communications, volunteer efforts, and voter outreach equipped them to simplify complex processes and improve team productivity.
2. Political leaders prioritised digital infrastructure that put people at the centre
Your digital presence is your first impression. From the UK to Bulgaria, campaigns were prioritising clean, action-oriented websites that engaged and mobilised their voters from the moment they visited the site. A strong online presence is more than just a website—it's the foundation for organising. Customised calls-to-action, event management, fundraising and membership appeals were core components for these campaign websites that acted as the central hub for voters.
Peer-to-peer initiatives, in particular, became a driving force. This strategy enabled campaigns to mobilise their supporters more effectively. Customers were adopting peer-to-peer strategies to help reach voters outside of their core constituency. Ultimately, fostering leadership at the local level and equipping local leaders to take charge of grassroots efforts.
3. Multi-channel GOTV efforts drove voter engagement
Campaigns integrated traditional tactics like canvassing and phone banking with digital outreach initiatives across email, social media, ads, and WhatsApp, ensuring that every voter touchpoint was optimised and the electorate are met where they’re at.
Email remains queen, these campaigns across these elections sent 134.9M emails and witnessed impressive open rates while keeping a strong deliverability reputation. Our customers continued to lean into the best in class practices to ensure their emails were being delivered to the people that needed to read them.
4. Speed to launch is non-negotiable
Agility and speed with your tech is a must. The snap elections meant that campaigns need to be prepared to go live in days, not weeks. Customers across the UK and Europe were able to launch websites, field programs, fundraising and communication efforts in as little as 3 days.
That speed has to translate into real voter engagement. Campaigns focused on hosting virtual and in person trainings to ensure their volunteers were equipped to leverage NationBuilder. These events ensured those volunteers were able to act as ambassadors and build networks that seamlessly integrated with the campaign's voter engagement strategy.
5. Streamlined processes enabled efficiency across the campaigns
Efficiency through structure—customers were focused on creating processes that reduced volunteer workloads with automations, group permission sets and local leader assignments. This allowed those volunteers to focus on what truly mattered: connecting with voters and getting them out to vote.
Adapting to process needs was essential for these campaign’s as the election drew closer. Customers used email notifications to ensure that no voter fell through the cracks when it came to follow up.
There are still a lot of elections left as we head into the second half of 2024–the year that brings the most elections in the history of the human race, with presidential or parliamentary elections taking place in 77 countries–these campaign trends are here to stay.
As our VP of Customer Success, Jay Godfrey, shared in our 2023 Year In Review “It’s not an exaggeration to say that in many cities, states, provinces, and even countries, entire elections depend on our software, with multiple competing candidates using our tools at the same time. It’s a point of pride for us, because one of NationBuilder’s most deeply held principles is that democracy only truly works when everyone – no matter their resources, background, or ideology – has the opportunity to make their case to the voting public.” Talk with our team today and learn how your campaign can harness these insights and tools.
