In August 2022, the City of Palm Desert engaged Tripepi Smith to help conduct a comprehensive educational outreach campaign to inform the community about the transition to Ranked Choice Voting for City Council elections. Palm Desert was the seventh city in California to adopt Ranked Choice Voting, with residents first using the voting method to elect two City Council Members in the November 2022 General Municipal Election.
President Ryder Todd Smith and Business Analyst Melanie Moore led the Tripepi Smith team in this effort, working diligently with City staff to create a robust outreach plan and ensure that the community was thoroughly educated about Ranked Choice Voting and understood how to properly fill out their ballots in November.
“Tripepi Smith’s team did an excellent job helping our community understand Ranked Choice Voting,” said Palm Desert City Clerk Anthony Mejia. “We appreciate their professionalism and dedication, and their efforts were crucial to the communities understanding of the new voting process.”
The Tripepi Smith team partnered with the City to pioneer a holistic, multi-media bi-lingual outreach process including:
- Developing content for dedicated English and Spanish Ranked Choice Voting webpages, VotePalmDesert.org/VotarPalmDesert.org
- Creating a dedicated logo and sample ballot to be used on all collateral
- Producing an informational flyer to share on the website, passed out in person and through the Riverside County of Registrar’s communication channels
- Producing an informational mailer sent to all residential, business and PO box addresses within Palm Desert and to any registered voters who no longer lived within city limits
- Creating a comprehensive informational PowerPoint Presentation to be used in community meetings and for a recorded video
- Developing an animated explainer video
- Producing weekly social media content to post on Facebook
- Facilitating a two-pronged digital advertising campaign through Facebook and Google Ads
- Setting up radio advertising for multiple English and Spanish radio stations in the greater Palm Desert area
- Drafting a press release
“We are proud to have played a supporting role in the City of Palm Desert’s efforts to promote transparency and engagement in the election process, and it was an honor to help inform the community about the nuances of Ranked Choice Voting,” said President Ryder Todd Smith. “Understanding how to properly cast a vote is crucial to ensuring democracy, and the City recognized this critical need and made significant community investments to properly educate the public. Between the amazing city staff and the Tripepi Smith team, we reached around every corner and under every rock to connect with the community.”
About the City of Palm Desert
The City of Palm Desert, California, incorporated November 26, 1973, is centered in the heart of the Coachella Valley. Palm Desert is known as the cultural and retail center of the desert communities. The City of Palm Desert provides exemplary and sustainable services, amenities and programs for the benefit of the community.
About Tripepi Smith
Tripepi Smith is a marketing, technology and public affairs firm based in Orange County, CA. Its clients include for-profit, nonprofit and public agencies throughout the state of California. The firm’s unique mix of marketing and technology prowess provides a competitive advantage for organizations seeking to leverage the Internet to achieve their communication goals. Tripepi Smith provides full content creation services, including: ghostwriting, collateral development, photography, video production, search engine optimization, email marketing, crisis communications, social media management and website design and execution. Tripepi Smith clients include: City of Santa Ana, City of Culver City, City of Rolling Hills Estates, City of Tracy, City of Santa Cruz, City of Snoqualmie, City of Cupertino, City of Daly City, City of La Cañada Flintridge, City of Paramount, City of Huntington Beach, City of El Cerrito, City of Indian Wells, City of Yuba City, Santa Clara County Fire Department, Industry Business Council, NHA Advisors, CalChoice, California Joint Powers Insurance Authority, Rowland Water District, California Contract Cities Association, California City Management Foundation, League of California Cities, Institute for Local Government, Renne Public Law Group, West Coast Arborists, Inland Empire Utilities Agency and Climatec Energy Services.
