With the election right around the corner, now is the time to streamline content and set visitor expectations for your results page.
Make Results Easy to Find
Help residents access results quickly:
- Update your homepage banner to point people directly to your results page (“View Election Results”)
- Your election results should live on one dedicated page.
- Create a simple, memorable URL using alternative URLs (e.g., yoursite.ca/elections)
- Promote this link across all channels
Set Expectations about Updates
To maintain performance, your results pages are cached, which means updates may take 5–10 minutes (up to ~20 minutes during peak traffic) to appear.
- Add a visible timestamp (e.g., “Last updated at 9:15 PM”)
- Clearly communicate how often results are refreshed (e.g. "Results are updated every 30 minutes")
- This helps reduce the frequency of unnecessary refreshing of the page.
- Label results as “unofficial” until certified
Limit Website Changes During Peak Hours
Avoid unnecessary updates leading up to and during election night:
- Do not publish large content updates or new pages
- Avoid uploading large files or media
- Consider a content publishing freeze 2–4 hours before polls close
Use Social Media to Share Updates
Social channels can help reduce website load.
- Share high-level updates (e.g., results summaries)
- Always link back to your official results page friendly URL (e.g., yoursite.ca/elections)
- Avoid duplicating full results across multiple platforms