How to Write Election Notifications That Actually Get Opened

Introduction

You’ve built the perfect ballot. Your voter list is spotless. The election is set to launch. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: none of it matters if voters don’t open the notification email.

Email inboxes are crowded. The average professional receives over 120 emails per day. Your election notification is competing with meeting invites, newsletters, promotions, and spam. If your subject line doesn’t grab attention and your timing isn’t right, your beautifully crafted election will sit there with a 15% participation rate while you wonder what went wrong.

This guide covers the strategies that move open rates from forgettable to actionable.

Crafting Subject Lines That Get Opened

Your subject line is the single most important factor in whether your email gets opened. It needs to be specific, urgent, and recognizable.

Formulas That Work

• [Organization Name]: Your Vote Is Ready — personalizes and creates immediacy.
• Vote Now: [Election Name] Closes [Date] — creates urgency with a clear deadline.
• Action Required: Cast Your Ballot for [Position] — signals importance.
• [Organization Name] Election: Your Secure Voting Link Inside — professional and clear.

What to Avoid

• Generic subjects like “Election Notification” or “Important Message”
• ALL CAPS (triggers spam filters and looks aggressive)
• Clickbait (“You won’t believe who’s running!”)
• Excessive punctuation or emoji in the subject line

Timing Your Notifications

When you send matters almost as much as what you send.

• Best days: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday consistently show the highest open rates for organizational emails.
• Best times: 9:00–10:00 AM local time for the initial notification. Avoid Monday mornings (inbox overload) and Friday afternoons (already checked out).
• Avoid: Weekends, holidays, and any day when your members are likely to be distracted (annual conference, major industry events).

Pro tip: If your members span multiple time zones, schedule the initial send for mid-morning in the time zone where the majority of your voters are located.

The Reminder Strategy

One email is never enough. Plan a structured reminder cadence:

• Initial Notification: Sent when the election opens. Clear, professional, includes all voting details.
• Midpoint Reminder (Day 2–3): Sent to non-voters only. “Just a reminder — have you cast your ballot yet?”
• Final Reminder (24 hours before close): Creates urgency. “Voting closes tomorrow at 5:00 PM. This is your last chance to participate.”
• Last Call (2–4 hours before close, optional): For critical elections where quorum is needed. “Voting closes in 3 hours. We need your vote to reach quorum.”

On ElectionChamp, you can resend notifications to individual non-voters from the Voters tab. The dashboard shows exactly who has and hasn’t voted (though never what they voted for), so you can target reminders effectively.

Writing the Email Body

Keep the email body short and focused. Voters should understand what to do within 10 seconds of opening.

Structure:

• One-line greeting: “Dear [Member Name],”
• What: “The [Organization Name] [Election Name] is now open for voting.”
• When: “Voting closes on [Date] at [Time] [Time Zone].”
• How: “Click the secure link below to cast your ballot.”
• The link: Make the voting link prominent — bold, large, or styled as a button.
• Support: “Questions? Reply to this email or contact [Name] at [Email].”

Use ElectionChamp’s template tags (#ballot-link#, #election-name#, #election-deadline#, etc.) to automatically personalize each email.

SMS Notifications: Short, Direct, Effective

SMS has significantly higher open rates than email (98% vs. ~20%). If your members have provided phone numbers, SMS notifications can dramatically boost participation.

Keep it under 120 characters:

“[Org Name] Election: Vote now! Tap the link to cast your ballot. Voting closes [Date]. [link]”

Use ElectionChamp’s #mobile-ballot-link# tag for a shorter URL optimized for SMS.

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