This document outlines the goals and elements of a website created by WPSU to provide coverage of the 2008 local elections. The goals were to make the site useful, fast, fun and interactive while providing personalized local candidate and election information to local listeners. Key elements included an interactive candidate quiz, building a sample ballot, candidate interviews, live election coverage and a fact-checking section. The site saw increased traffic and engagement during the primary elections through cross-promotion on radio and collaboration between radio and web teams. Feedback on the site was positive for providing localized election information.

1. Vote ’08 Election Coverage
VOTE ‘08 TEAM: Thomas Wilson, Nathan Tobey,
Steven Nelson, Emily Rowlands, Cece Merkel,
Kevin Conaway, Gregory Petersen, Steven Biddle, Kris
Allen, Cynthia Berger, Whitney Chirdon, Patty Satalia

2. Goals for Vote ‘08 site
• Useful
• Fast access to information
• Fun (interactive)
• Easy to use
• Information on LOCAL candidates
• User gets information that is PERSONALIZED
• Builds community among local listeners/viewers

3. The 5th District Ballot

4. Vote ’10 site elements
• Select-a-candidate QUIZ
• Build My Ballot
• Candidate interviews
• Voice Your Vote
• WPSU FactChecker
• Live election nite coverage: live chat, “ask
the pundit,” up-to-the minute election results

6. Cross-platform collaborations
• Candidate interviews repurposed in radio features
• Quiz promoted on radio
• Debates promoted on radio
• Radio features posted to web
• Lobby Talk on Select A Candidate quiz
• Blog entries re-purposed as radio commentaries
• Bloggers were live pundits on election night
• Listeners emailed questions to pundits on election
night

7. Results: Primary Election
TOP Referrals:
1 live.psu.edu – 1,381
2. centredailyteims.com – 1,176
3. bradfordera.com – 403
4. lockhaven.com – 375
5. lewistownsentinel.com - 249

9. Results: Primary Election
WPSU web traffic increased across the board
from the prior month
!
• Visits: +49.93%
• Unique visitors +64.99%
• Time spent on site, per visitor: +121.60%

10. What people are saying:
“We have 12 candidates, all virtually unknown
outside their home area. Talk about a
nightmare for the media, not to mention
voters. But as they say, help is on the way.”

11. Good idea and site . . . All politics are local.
Very, very cool. I will forward the link to our
GOV teachers--who may share with other social
studies teachers.
!
Julie Gittings
Learning Enrichment/Gifted Support Teacher
State College Area High School