Overview:
At BallotReady, rather than storing images in our database, the database points to an image hosted elsewhere (e.g. candidate's website, facebook page, imgur.com or another image hosting site) through its image URL. Sharing an image URL—instead of sending an image file—is a convenient way to share images so that the recipient can see the image without needing to download an attachment.
For example, here is an image URL that directs to a photo of President Biden, which is hosted on his Facebook page: https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/273202812_108973701707133_4257663127938348442_n.jpg?_nc_cat=1&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=rcWzrvE-yEoAX_xPHWU&_nc_oc=Adhj1oJ9_76Lc5vMu6_lwjz85mC60lID70HTMpWGIR9xCa1iF4AFKTcnQnNdXZOeK9sHTsYmMrJJaNETyl1Cs28q&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBcxq0Pv8pTKidJFVOkHlBJhMZWYlWr4PM4vEtxvGv76Q&oe=661239E4
Here is another example: An image of Mitch McConnell, which is hosted on the free image hosting site imgur.com: https://i.imgur.com/B6vObt8.jpg
How to find an Image URL:
If you're sharing a photo that has already been uploaded somewhere—like a social media page or website—it's as easy as right clicking the image and selecting "Copy Image Address" (this wording may vary between different browsers). The URL will be copied, and then you can paste it wherever.
Feel free to test the URL by pasting it into a browser and navigating to that URL. The image should appear like the examples given above.
If your image is NOT already uploaded somewhere:
In order for your image to have an image URL, it needs to be hosted somewhere on the internet. Therefore, if your image is not already hosted somewhere on the internet, you'll need to upload it. It can be uploaded to a facebook page, a campaign website, or a free image hosting site, like imgur.com
NOTE: Be sure to upload the image to a page where it will not be deleted. If the photo is deleted, the image URL will become invalid. For example, if you upload an image to your website, but then update your website and delete the image, the URL will no longer direct to the deleted image, so the image will disappear from BallotReady.
Uploading an Image to a Free Image Hosting Site:
While there are many image hosting options, this article has referenced imgur.com as an example because it is easy to use.
To upload an image:
- Go to imgur.com
- Click the "+ New Post" box in the upper left corner
- Upload the image either by dragging and dropping the file from your computer into the "Drop images here" box or selecting to "Choose Photo/Video" and then selecting the file from your computer.
- Wait for the file to upload before copying the image URL.
