Below are some key steps you can take now as you build your election site to ensure your visitors can find the information they need.
Content Best Practices
Create a Single Source of Truth
Your election site should live in one dedicated, easy to find, space.
- Use Alternative URLs assign a simple, and easy to remember URL for both your Elections site (or landing page), and your results page
- Examples: yoursite.ca/elections and yoursite.ca/results
- Promote this link across your homepage, social media, and communications
- Ensure that this link is used by staff, and media
Keep Your Content Fast and Lightweight
During peak traffic, simplicity is critical, not only for load times, but for visitor comprehension.
- Use text and tables to display important information
- Limit the use of images and keep their size small when using them (≤ 200 KB each)
- Avoid videos, large graphics, interactive components and PDFs
- If PDFs are required, keep them small and make sure they are accessible (≤ 1–2 MB)
- Keep total page size under ~1–1.5 MB
Keep Language Simple and Succinct
Write the way you speak and avoid the use of words pulled from legislation:
- Use plain, accessible language that anyone visiting your site can understand
- Avoid the use of long paragraphs of information and instead use smaller blocks of content that include bullet points, where applicable.
Governance Recommendations
Coordinate with Media and Partners
Help reduce unnecessary traffic strain:
- Share your official site URL and results page URL with media and stakeholders
- Ask partners to use this as the primary resource and link, where required
- Helps web traffic and sets the expectation for where to find the information they need
Prepare Your Team
Ensure staff are aligned on the information they provide when asked:
- Share the official site and results URL internally
- Limit editing access to this part of the website, if needed, to prevent accidental updates
Publish Early and Test
Avoid last-minute changes during peak traffic.
- Publish your pages, including your results page, in advance with placeholder messaging so visitors know where to return.
- SEO and crawlers will have ample time to index this content which makes it even easier to find
- Test links, performance, and content display on different devices