Communicating with Voters: Your Message and Your Story

Why communication matters

An election is a conversation between candidates and citizens. People need to know what you stand for, what you want to change and how you will work with others. They also need to feel that you have listened to their everyday concerns.

Communication is more than making speeches. It includes community meetings, conversations at the market, radio interviews, a short video, a media statement, a letter to the editor and a respectful reply to a question online. Each contact is an opportunity to explain your priorities and build trust.

Good communication is clear, truthful and connected to people’s lives. It does not require complicated words. It requires a useful idea, a reason for that idea and a practical example of what you will do.

Start with the people you want to serve

Before you write a message, learn what people are experiencing. Talk with women, men, young people, older people, people with disabilities, workers, business owners, farmers, faith groups and community organisations. Do not assume that one person speaks for a whole community.

Ask open questions. What is working well? What is making life harder? Which services are difficult to reach? What would make the biggest difference in the next year? Write down the words people use. Those words can help you explain the issue in a way that feels real rather than imported from a speech.

Listening also helps you separate a concern from a promise. You may not be able to solve every problem as an MP. You can explain what Parliament can do, what Government departments do and what you will personally do to follow up.

Build one clear campaign message

Your campaign message is the short explanation of why you are standing and what you want to achieve. It should be easy to repeat and easy for another person to remember.

A useful message has three parts:

• The problem: what needs attention?
• The purpose: why does it matter to people?
• The action: what will you support, change or ask Government to do?

For example: “Many families spend too much time and money travelling for basic health services. I will support stronger local clinics, reliable medicine supplies and better referral services, so families can get care closer to home.”

This message is specific without promising something outside a candidate’s power. It gives people a problem, a reason and a direction.

Keep a short version for introductions and social media. Keep a longer version for meetings and interviews. The main idea should stay the same even when the wording changes.

Use the five Ws and H

Journalists use six questions to understand a story: what, why, when, where, who and how. Candidates can use the same questions to make a message complete.

• What is the issue or proposal?
• Why is it important now?
• When will action happen, or when will you report progress?
• Where are people affected?
• Who is affected and who must act?
• How will your proposal work in practice?

Answering these questions helps you avoid a message that is only a slogan. It also makes it easier for a reporter or voter to explain your position to someone else.

When you write an introduction for a statement or speech, put the most newsworthy point first. Use a short sentence, usually about 20 to 25 words. Then add evidence, a quote, an example and background. This is the same approach used in an inverted pyramid news story: the most important information comes before the less important detail.

Choose proof and examples

People are more likely to trust a message when it is supported by something they can see or check. Use a local example, a public report, a budget figure, a service standard or a personal experience shared with permission.

Be clear about what you know and what you still need to confirm. Do not repeat a rumour because it sounds useful. If you make a mistake, correct it quickly and explain the correction.

A personal story can help people understand an issue, but do not use someone’s hardship without consent. Protect private details, especially when children, health information or violence are involved. Respectful storytelling gives people dignity and keeps the focus on the issue rather than turning a person into a campaign prop.

Speak so people can understand

Use short sentences and familiar words. Explain an abbreviation the first time you use it. Give one idea at a time. Avoid presenting ten promises in one speech. Three clear priorities are easier to remember and easier to monitor.

When speaking in public:

• Begin by saying what you will discuss.
• Give the main message early.
• Use a local example.
• Pause between ideas.
• Look at different parts of the audience.
• Finish by saying what you want people to do next.

The final request might be to attend a meeting, check a policy, enrol to vote, share a question or simply keep following the issue. A candidate does not need to have every answer. It is better to say, “I do not know yet, but I will find out and report back,” than to invent an answer.

Listen as well as speak

Communication is two-way. At a community meeting, leave time for questions. Repeat a question in your own words so everyone can hear it. Answer the question that was asked before moving to a related point.

If a person disagrees, stay calm. Ask what part of the proposal concerns them. You can acknowledge a fair point without changing your values. Never threaten, insult or expose a person’s private information because they asked a difficult question.

Keep a simple record of questions that come up often. The list can guide a new fact sheet, a radio answer or a future meeting. It can also show where your campaign needs better evidence.

Communicating as a woman candidate

Research on election reporting in Fiji has shown that women candidates have often received less news coverage than men. Earlier newspaper studies found that stories about women were more likely to focus on dress, family or gendered roles, while race and coup related issues received greater prominence. This can make women candidates invisible as political actors.

You cannot control every media decision, but you can consistently present yourself as a candidate with ideas, evidence and public responsibilities. Lead with policy and community work. Use the same clear title and description of your role in every release. Offer information that makes your work easy to report, such as a short biography, a contact number, a photograph and three key points.

If a question focuses only on appearance or family, you can answer briefly and return to the public issue: “My family is important to me. I am standing because local health services need attention, and here is the practical change I am proposing.”

Ask journalists and editors to cover women candidates fairly and to include a range of voices. Fair coverage is not special treatment. It helps voters compare candidates on the issues that affect the country.