Social Media Policy
Ashland County Board of Elections
Adopted March 6, 2023
The Board of Elections recognizes social media can be an extremely useful tool to improve communication with its constituents, increase opportunities for community engagement, and expand access to public information. The following policy is to ensure our respectful and professional participation in social media and to ach
ieve the following objectives:
1. To reach the public with information they need to know, such as how, where and when to vote.
3. To educate the public about elections. Board Use of Social Media Accounts
Social media platforms used by the office will be at the discretion of the Board. Maintenance of those accounts will be the duty of the Director and Deputy Director. Communication over social media on behalf of the Board will be limited to one-way provision of information. Permission to post on behalf of the Board shall be limited to the Director and Deputy Director. With official authorization from both, other employees may be asked to publish content. Employees may only post by using office devices and use is limited to office hours. Content must be informational in nature. Cross links to information regarding elections may be made to the Ohio Secretary of State, Election Assistance Commission, Federal Elections Commission, and other agencies where deemed appropriate by the Director and Deputy Director. Content will be updated and messages checked on a daily basis, except weekends and holidays. All deleted posts will be captured, documented as to the reason for deletion, and stored electronically consistent with the Board’s records retention policy. All profiles and accounts shall contain a disclaimer that the account of profile is a service for sharing information and instructing voters to contact the office directly to conduct official business. They must prominently feature contact information for the Board office as well as a link to the Board’s website. Public Use and Conduct
The Board of Elections reserves the right to remove any material relating to its social media accounts on the following grounds:
1. Vulgar language.
2. Personal attacks, comments or content that are discriminatory or harass on the basis of color, race, religion, s*x, age, national origin, disability, military status, genetic testing, s*xual orientation, gender identity or other characteristics.
3. Content deemed by the Director and Deputy Director to be spam, malware, or otherwise potentially harmful to Board property.
4. Statements advocating illegal activity, advertising commercial products or services, or promoting political parties, services, political organizations or candidates.
5. Statements revealing confidential or sensitive information, or infringing on copyrights, trademarks or other intellectual property. The foregoing list is not exclusive, and the Director and Deputy Director are granted the authority to remove any content posted on the Board’s social media profile or accounts that both agree distracts, defames, disseminates false information, or otherwise negatively reflects on the reputation of the Board. Violative content will be documented and deleted in accordance with the Board’s records retention policy. Repeated violations may lead to the blocking or banning of offending parties at the discretion of the Director and Deputy Director.
