From “Printed voter guides are a necessary service” on Greater Greater Washington, April 30:
In an effort to cut costs for the low-turnout special election, DCBOEE decided to forgo their usual practice of mailing an election guide to registered voters. Instead, they mailed a postcard notifying voters of the upcoming election and published an online-only voter guide. [...]
We live in an increasingly digitally-connected world. not everyone has, or wants, access to the internet. According to a 2010 report by DC’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer, broadband adoption rates sit near 40% in Wards 5, 7, and 8 but soar to 90% elsewhere.
Quite simply, limiting the media of voter education in turn limits the pool of educated voters. The author mentions that, on election day, an elderly voter (also a recent DC transplant) confided that she had never heard of most of the candidates. But moreover, it limits the pool of likely voters.