Adding endorsements before research is completed

You can now add endorsements early for elections that are connected to your site!

If the candidates you're looking to endorse have already been researched, check out this article on the standard process to add endorsements.

It's possible that you may want to launch the slate card in your Civic Center before BallotReady has completed research for the candidates you're endorsing. If that is the case, the following process allows you to enter your endorsed candidates.

Note: This feature is only available for elections that have been connected to your site. If you're unsure what elections are connected to your site, check out this article about the elections tab in CivicEngine Manage. 

1. In CivicEngine Manage, navigate to the Endorsements section in the left sidebar. This interface allows you to add and manage your endorsements. 

 

2. Click on the “New Endorsements +” button on the top left.

Select the organization making the endorsement click "Next". 

 

3. Select the state and election in which the candidate is running. Click "Next". 

 

4.  Select "Add Endorsement +".

Screenshot 2024-05-21 at 2.39.39 PM.png

Select the position the candidate is running for. 

Screenshot 2024-05-21 at 2.40.31 PM.png

After you've selected the position from the dropdown, type the name of your candidate. Because the candidate has not yet been researched, you'll see that no matches have been found. Click on the link to add the candidate manually.

Screenshot 2024-05-21 at 2.41.27 PM.png

Enter the candidate's information and click "Save" to record your entry. 

Screenshot 2024-05-21 at 2.45.00 PM.png

 

5. Click the "Submit" button, and you'll see your list of endorsements with the new candidate marked as pending. You can delete any of your entries by clicking the trash can icon next to it.

Screenshot 2024-05-21 at 2.47.11 PM.pngScreenshot 2024-05-21 at 2.48.12 PM.png

 

What happens after my endorsement entry is marked as pending?

Once you’ve added your endorsed candidate, the candidate's status will be marked as "pending", and the endorsement will become visible on your slate card.
When our team has completed research and quality assurance for your chosen election, the status of your endorsements will change:
1. If our research team has confirmed that the candidate is running in the election, the status will change from "pending" to "active". 
2. If our research team has not been able to confirm that the candidate is running in the election, the status will change from "pending" to "not found".

What should I do if an endorsement entry is marked as not found?

When a candidate is marked as "not found", that means our research team has reviewed your submission and found that there is not a candidacy for that election. If you do nothing, the candidate will remain on your slate card. However, if you'd like to resolve the "not found" error, we recommend:

1. Double checking your research: There are several reasons a candidate might not have been found, including when a candidate drops out of the race or is running for a different position with a similar name. We'd also recommend checking that the candidate was submitted for the correct election -- it can be easy to mix up primary and general elections, for instance. 

2. Submitting a ticket: If you're certain the candidate is in the election, you're welcome to submit a support ticket.

    For more information about the endorsement process, please reach out to your Customer Success Lead.