The Montgomery County Board of Elections (BOE) voted unanimously Monday to establish a social media policy to treat all candidates fairly on the BOE social media platforms.
The Board will no longer follow anyone on any social media platforms. The Board formerly followed 2,000 users on X (previously Twitter).
David Naimon, Board President, said in a statement, “As a non-partisan organization, the Board must ensure that all candidates, political parties and voters are treated fairly and that no candidate or supporter or opponent of a ballot question receives or is perceived to receive preferential treatment. The mission of the Board is simple—free, fair, and transparent elections for all candidates and voters.”
Social media plays a critical role in the Board’s communications with County residents about election-related information and in maximizing voter outreach. The Board encourages residents to follow it on various social media platforms, including X.
The Board has been discussing how to continue to use social media as an effective means to communicate with the public while avoiding the perception that the Board is expressing favoritism toward certain individuals by “following” them or “liking” their messages on social media. To achieve both goals, the Board has implemented the following policy:
- The Board encourages the public to follow it on social media. It is the best way to receive accurate and up to date information on elections;
- The Board will not follow anyone on social media. This policy is being implemented to ensure impartiality and instill confidence that the Board administers free and fair elections for all individuals who may decide to run for elective office as well as both sides of any ballot questions.
