OLYMPIA — The Washington state Office of the Secretary of State (OSOS) has invested in a large-scale campaign to highlight the safety and security of the state’s vote-by-mail process ahead of Washington’s August primary and November general election. Created with agency partner Happylucky, the campaign uses stylized, rooted-in-place imagery and animation to promote the integrity of a process that has enabled accessible and secure voting throughout Washington for more than a decade. This campaign’s positive messaging helps all Washington voters understand how vote-by-mail works, celebrate their democratic rights, and encourage participation.
“Washingtonians should know our elections are conducted securely and transparently by trained and dedicated election officials,” Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said. “These elections administrators, in every county, are our neighbors and deserve our trust. By partnering with Happylucky, we can inform voters statewide of the safe, secure, and transparent processes we use to conduct every election.”
Although a survey conducted in 2022 found a majority of Washington voters trust the state’s vote-by-mail system, falsehoods about its security persist, particularly in state and national elections. The public awareness campaign by OSOS and Happylucky provides an uplifting, straightforward approach to reach audiences where their confidence is fostered: within their local communities.
The campaign utilizes traditional and digital channels plus community-based partnerships with an additional focus on rural, historically marginalized, and entry-level voters. Copy and imagery directly connect to slices of home, leaning into whimsy and humor, with versions provided in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese. A newly created animated character, “Mark the Ballot,” leads the campaign, spreading information and enthusiasm to voters by showing the journey of a ballot, providing education on how voter rolls are updated, and sharing Washington’s history as the second state to adopt vote-by-mail.
“Our goal was to imagine a vibrant world where the ballot springs to life, infused with a generous dose of eccentricity for an edutainment approach,” said Guy Cappiccie, associate creative director at Happylucky. “It’s about making civic engagement feel less like a duty and more like a collective journey.”
OSOS invested $1.8 million in the campaign, as part of its critical role to deliver accurate elections information statewide. The campaign is live across media platforms today after its social media-only launch in March. Further elections information for voters can be found on the OSOS website at sos.wa.gov/elections.
Happylucky is a queer-owned, women-led creative agency headquartered in Portland, OR. The agency specializes in brand strategy, campaigns, content and IRL connections for global brands as well as local organizations and non-profits.
Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State oversees areas within state government including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal. The office operates the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, and administers the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees and the Productivity Board state employee suggestion program. The Office of the Secretary of State also oversees the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime.