The Voter's Guide Workshop

The influence industry is a sprawling, global network of 500+ companies gathering, selling, and leveraging data insights for political influence. For the past five years, our project has researched this industry, aided by international journalists, researchers, and civil society. Now, with our Voter's Guide workshop, we aim to engage voters, fostering learning, sharing, and discussion.

This workshop is designed to engage voter's around the world, build media and digital literacy and encourage critical media consumption.

Our workshop materials include:

  • a workshop plan for facilitators,
  • workshop slides (PDF) and
  • workshop activities.

Download the Voter's Guide resource package including the workshop plan, slides and all activity sheets.Download ZIP

The workshop plan for facilitators offers support through definitions, structure and areas of suggested advance preparation. The slides are aligned with the workshop plan, offering visuals and text for the participants. Embedded throughout the workshop are accompanying workshop activities, further instructions and descriptions for the activities are provided separately.

Download only the workshop plan.Download PDF

Download only the workshop slides.Download PDF

Quick look:

Workshop aim: Participants will gain an understanding of how political parties obtain and use personal data to target content to influence the decisions and behaviours of voters. The workshop introduces a framework for understanding the role of private firms in data-driven political influence campaigns. The workshop also provides tools to assist voters in developing their political agency and personal political opinions in an environment of polarising and misleading political content.

white, gray, purple and black image with first page of the workshop plan

Workshop aim: Participants will gain an understanding of how political parties obtain and use personal data to target content to influence the decisions and behaviours of voters. The workshop introduces a framework for understanding the role of private firms in data-driven political influence campaigns. The workshop also provides tools to assist voters in developing their political agency and personal political opinions in an environment of polarising and misleading political content.

Workshop time: Three hours

Experience level: This workshop is designed for people who are interested in political practice but are beginners to understanding the topic of technology in elections.

Number of participants: 5 - 25 participants with one facilitator

Workshop facilities (online): Collaborative online board which allows pictures to be pasted; pen and paper, or digital drawing tool, for all participants

Workshop facilities (offline): Aluminium foil; Pens and paper.

Workshop format: The workshop can be run online or offline. Half-way through the workshop there should be a short pause so that the participants can have time to reflect, stretch and rest. There are six sections each including:

  • Objectives
  • Talking/Discussion points
  • 1 – 2 activities
  • Slides

All workshop materials are currently available in English. If you would like to translate, adapt or otherwise remix the materials, please get in touch with our team at ttc@tacticaltech.org and we will be happy to discuss ideas further.


Credits:

The Voter's Guide workshop plan, slides and activities were developed by Tactical Tech's Influence Industry Project in collaboration with Seerat Khan. Further credits for project support and direction can be found here.

First published: January 12, 2024

More Voter's Guide materials