Let's Vote Wyo | Voter Awareness Campaigns

Wyoming Secretary of State

Wyoming Votes logo

Wyoming Secretary of State

In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wyoming Secretary of State hired Kalen to raise awareness around safe voting options, particularly absentee voting. This initiative was launched to ensure Wyoming voters could participate in the election while adhering to public health mandates. Kalen developed and executed a statewide campaign to educate voters on how to safely and securely vote during an unprecedented time.

Building on the success of this campaign, Kalen was re-engaged in 2022 to address new challenges in the political landscape. Following concerns about election integrity after the 2020 presidential election, the focus shifted to encouraging voters to vote confidently, knowing that their votes counted and were protected through the state’s ID verification measures.

Industry

Politics & Government

Focuses and Media

Challenges

2020 Challenges

  • Voter Safety Concerns: Due to the ongoing pandemic, there was a significant concern about voter safety. The Wyoming Secretary of State sought to encourage voting while ensuring citizens felt safe about their options, including absentee voting.
  • Voter Engagement: Encouraging voter turnout while dealing with uncertainties surrounding COVID-19 was a key challenge.

2022 Challenges

  • Public Distrust in the Election Process: After the 2020 presidential election, public concern grew over the integrity of elections, especially with widespread claims of election fraud. This caused a decline in voter confidence.
  • Voter ID Requirements: The introduction of a new voter ID requirement created a need to educate voters on acceptable forms of identification, ensuring everyone understood what they needed to bring to the polls.
  •  
cowboy at a voting booth

Solutions

2020 Campaign: “Let’s Vote, Wyo!”

Kalen developed a campaign that emphasized the safety of voting options, including absentee voting. By using diverse imagery that represented all Wyoming residents, the campaign made voting accessible and relatable. A comprehensive media strategy was implemented, including:

  • Digital and social media ads
  • Billboards
  • Radio and TV spots
  • A toolkit for county clerk offices with materials for polling stations
Fisherman voting
Mom voting

2022 Campaign: “Vote Confidently”

To address voter concerns about election integrity, Kalen refreshed the Let’s Vote, Wyo! campaign, retaining its diverse imagery while introducing new messaging reinforcing the importance of voting confidently. The campaign focused on ensuring voters knew about the new ID requirements and understood how their votes would be protected. The campaign garnered national attention, with its success highlighted in a New York Times article about effective voter awareness initiatives.

Hunter
hiker girl in a social post

2024 Campaign: Focus on Voting Law Changes

As Wyoming prepared for the 2024 election, Kalen shifted its focus to educate voters on recent changes to absentee voting laws, including a reduction in the absentee voting window to 28 days. The campaign also emphasized the importance of bringing a valid ID to the polls. The messaging was spread across multiple platforms, using a wide array of digital and traditional media to ensure comprehensive outreach.

Results

The voter awareness campaigns had a measurable impact on voter turnout and engagement in Wyoming. Key results include:

  • 2020 General Election: 278,503 people voted, representing 63% of the voting-age population, a 5% increase in turnout compared to 2016 ​(VoterProfile).
  • 2022 General Election: Despite ongoing concerns about election integrity, 198,198 people voted, with 44% of the voting-age population participating ​(VoterProfile).

 

The campaigns successfully addressed voter concerns and ensured that Wyoming voters were informed and empowered to cast their ballots safely and confidently.

Stay in the Know & Keep Up With Kalen!

Monthly marketing tips, industry trends, and behind-the-scenes insights—all packed into one punchy email. Sign up below!