Why Voter Turnout is the Real Victory
Elections Are Not Just About Winning - It's About Maximizing Voter Turnout!
Elections are not just about winning or losing; they're about participation. The act of voting is a cornerstone of democracy, and yet, in many areas, voter turnout remains alarmingly low, especially in Indiana where voter turnout for the 2024 election was approximately 61%.
Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast ~ Peter Drucker
Let’s Change the Culture of How We Increase Voter Turnout
They had a plan, and so can we.
Historically, the fight for voting rights has been a long and arduous journey. From the suffragettes advocating for women's rights in the early 20th century to the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the quest for equitable access to the ballot has been central to America and democracy. Thought leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Susan B. Anthony have emphasized that the right to vote is fundamental to achieving equality. Their legacies remind us that participation is not just a right; it's a responsibility.
The Republican State Leadership Committee, which coordinates all non-federal activities, engaged in a $30 million operation known as Red Map and flipped targeted state legislatures in 2010 from Democratic control to Republican control. This movement was fueled by the GOP's blunt racism towards the first black president and angst around the adoption of Obamacare.
Let's Go Deeper:
The RedMap Project, also known as The Redistricting Majority Project, was a Republican-led effort to control the redistricting process in various states after the 2010 census. The project was spearheaded by Karl Rove and other prominent Republicans.
The RedMap Project was widely criticized for its role in gerrymandering electoral districts to favor Republican candidates. By manipulating district boundaries, Republicans created safe seats for their party, often at the expense of Democratic voters. This led to a disproportionate number of Republican representatives being elected to Congress and state legislatures, despite Democrats receiving more overall votes in some cases.
The RedMap Project undermined democratic principles by allowing politicians to choose their voters rather than the other way around. When you pull back the project's tactics, it becomes clear that it was a carefully orchestrated plan.
The Goals of the RedMap Project → Gerrymandering → Control
Packing: Concentrating Democratic voters into a few districts to reduce their influence in other areas.
Cracking: Splitting Democratic-leaning communities across multiple districts to dilute their voting power.
Gerrymandering: Creating irregularly shaped districts that favor Republican candidates.
The RedMap Project is widely regarded as a prime example of how strategic manipulation of electoral districts can undermine democratic representation and voter turnout. The manipulation of electoral districts has also contributed to the psychological impact on voting. By creating safe seats for Republicans, the project has led to a sense of hopelessness and disconnection among many voters, especially young voters, who feel their voices are being silenced and their votes don't matter.
The lack of checks and balances in gerrymandered states has contributed to the rise of the MAGA movement by allowing extremist ideologies to flourish, disenfranchising marginalized communities, and creating an environment where corruption and abuse of power can thrive.
How do we emerge from this chaos? We must aggressively course correct, overturn voter apathy, and return power to the people to elect their representatives. Just as the Republicans executed a meticulously planned strategy, so too can we. It starts in the states.
If you have not read this article, is it worth reading because this practice continues today.
🔗 Deceased GOP Strategist's Daughter Makes Files Public That Republicans Wanted Sealed
A Little About Myself…
Have you ever taken the personality assessment Myers-Briggs? I have, several times in many leadership roles. And, I always get ENTJ. Some people who know me well are probably laughing right now because if you are familiar with Myers-Briggs - yup ENTJ -> that’s Mary.
ENTJ personalities - Frank, decisive, assume leadership readily. Quickly see illogical and inefficient procedures and policies, develop and implement comprehensive systems to solve organizations problems. Enjoy long term planning and goal setting. Usually well informed, well read, enjoy expanding their knowledge and passing it on to others. Forceful in presenting their ideas - oopies on that one but … ☺️
Now this is where I might be a bit forceful and lean on my skill to “Quickly see illogical and inefficient procedures and policies, develop and implement comprehensive systems to solve organizations problems”.
Why are we in Indiana leaving 30 House Seats uncontested and 10 Senate Seats uncontested each election cycle hoping to move the needle?
States that are moving the needle and are flipping from red to blue run candidates in every seat of the bus!! If we want people to vote for democrats - shouldn’t we provide a choice for them?
It is not an "and" “or” - it's "and both!"
I get it, the House and Senate Caucus need to defend current elected officials - of course - and they look at the data to see where they can add to the team, but usually only means helping 4 may be 5 new candidates each cycle. This strategy is largely based on bandwidth and resources, but where has it gotten us? It's time to layer in a new strategy.
We cannot increase voter turnout if we do not give voters a choice on the ballot. Our goal must be to make sure that every single Hoosier who shares our values has a reason to turn out and vote. That’s the gap we need to close! It is illogical to not understand why we have a problem with voter turnout when we are not providing a reason for people to vote for us.
Subscribe - Because "Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast"
Let's change the culture of how we increase voter turnout!! Solution - run candidates in every district and support them!
Elections Aren’t Just about Winning.
We need a mindset shift - elections are not just about winning or losing rather they are for maximizing voter turnout. If your goal is to maximize voter turnout then your strategy shifts. This mindset shifts our approach to campaigning and encourages more people to get involved. This strategy also shifts the focus less on winning and more on mobilizing voters. The focus shifts from winning to community organizing. The goal of a candidate is to organize and engage with their community which leads to more grassroots involvement and better voter turnout, especially in local elections.
Why this matters - you will flip the top of the ticket first ➡️ Imagine the bathtub scenario.
Majorie Taylor Green vs Marcus Flowers 2022 Election
Why does running in every district impact up-ballot races and flip the top of the ticket first? Let's look at Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene against Marcus Flowers in the 2022 election. While not a state level race - this demonstrates impact on voter turnout. Democrats tend to count on coattails to pull Candidates up from the state level, meaning a great “top of the ticket candidate" to carry the game. It is a team effort, but top of the ticket candidates can not do all the work themselves. Not impossible but an extremely heavy and costly lift!
Marcus Flowers was a dynamic candidate - an Army veteran and defense contractor. He raised a staggering amount of money - nearly $15 million and mostly on social media. Greene pulled in close to $12 million. But more importantly in 2022 Senator Raphael Warnock was defending his seat against Hershel Walker. Marcus Flowers lost by 31 points but he also won. He earned more than 10,000 votes than the candidate in 2020 and helped secure Senator Raphael Warnock’s win. Flowers stood up a robust field operation with close to 28 field organizers on the ground knocking on thousands of doors, and spent enormous amounts of money on democratic messaging. Those 10,000 votes contributed to Senator Warnock’s win. Remember it's a team effort. Not just one good play wins the game here.
I will let you in on a little secret - I love soccer! One of my favorite heroes is Abby Wambach. Abby is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, FIFA World Cup Champion and the highest all time international goal scorer for MALE and female soccer players. If you watch her games you will notice every time she scores a goal she points back to her team mates indicating she did not accomplish the job as a forward without their efforts.
Credit : 50th Most Memorable Women’s World Cup™ Moment: Abby Wambach’s Final World Cup Goal | FOX SOCCER
What happens when you run candidates in every district?
First, the urgency to engage citizens in the electoral process has never been greater. Without participation, democracy falters.
Boosts Community Engagement: By running candidates in every district, we foster a sense of ownership and participation among local residents, encouraging them to take an active role in shaping their community's future.
Cleans Up Voting Data: Contesting every seat helps update voter rolls, ensuring more accurate data and reducing the risk of voter suppression tactics.
Amplifies the Democratic Message: By having candidates on the ground, we can effectively communicate our party's values and policies to a wider audience, increasing awareness and support.
Holds MAGA GOP Accountable: Running candidates in every district forces Republicans to defend their voting record and sponsored bills, making them more accountable to their constituents.
Strains GOP Resources: By contesting every seat, we compel the Republican Party to allocate resources - MONEY - across all districts, potentially weakening their overall campaign efforts.
Develops a Diverse Candidate Pipeline: Running young, diverse candidates provides valuable campaign experience, helping to build a strong bench of future leaders who reflect the communities they serve.
Increases Civic Engagement: By having local candidates, we encourage citizens to participate in the democratic process, fostering a sense of civic responsibility and community involvement.
Energizes the Base: Contesting every seat helps mobilize our party's base, generating enthusiasm and motivation among supporters.
Fosters Community Pride: Running local candidates creates a sense of community pride and ownership, as residents feel invested in their candidate's success.
Empowers Local Leaders: By supporting local leaders who know their community best, we ensure that decision-making is informed by the unique needs and concerns of each district.
What is the path forward?
Just like democrats showed up to protest across the country in the red and blue states - Democrats need to Fight Everywhere at the ballot box. In order to “fight everywhere” and increase voter turnout, we need you to step up and run office - hold the GOP accountable to defunding public schools, taking away access to healthcare, blocking affordable housing initiative, increasing the cost of living & the list goes on!
Every State Blue - &
Every State Blue is a grassroots organization that aims to create communities of people who want Democrats to fight everywhere. The strategy is simple: when Democrats don't run and support candidates in every corner of the country, voters feel abandoned and ignored. By showing up and supporting Democratic nominees, even in areas where they may not have a strong chance of winning, we can increase voter turnout and make sure that no Republican gets a free pass. ~ David Pepper
What’s the Plan?
Contest Every Race!
And Support Candidates Financially!
The "bottom-up bathtub" model is key to the strategy. After the primary, campaign finance filings are used to determine which Democratic nominees have the fewest resources and distribute community funds to those who need it most. This approach ensures that every nominee has a base level of support, raising the overall "water level" for all Democrats. By doing so, we can boost voter turnout and help reach voters who may have been left behind in previous elections.
Proof it works - David Pepper - > BLUE OHIO
In 2020, 13 Democratic nominees for the Ohio state legislature had less than $5,000. In 2022, Blue Ohio raised $80,000 and supported 20 nominees with $5,800. Because of the Blue Ohio community, no nominee had less than $5,800. In 2024, Blue Ohio through crowd funding, raised over $385,000 and supported 59 nominees bringing the bottom to $14,000.
Additionally, Every State Blue engaged in a study with Blue Missouri and Washington University to study the impact of candidates running in every district on voter turnout.
DATA DOESN'T LIE - Full Study Here
The study showed a 1.5% vote share increase for the top of the ticket when you go from an uncontested district to a contested one. A separate study done by an LSU professor in 2013 showed that funding challengers at $0.36 per eligible voter leads to a 1% voter turnout increase. 👇🏻👇🏻
Having a Nominee Improves Vote Share for the Top-of-the-Ticket by 1.5%
Having a Democratic nominee matters. Looking at the 2020 election, simply having a nominee on the ballot increased vote turnout for the top of the ticket (President Joe Biden) by 1.5%. Those results were almost identical to the Analyst Institute's 2017 Virginia study.
Funding impacts both vote share and turnout.
Funding made a difference, too – for every $10k the nominee raised, they increased vote share for the top of the ticket by 0.25%. And in 2013, a professor at LSU did a review of 20 states and found that funding a state legislative challenger at $0.36 per eligible voter increased turnout by 1%.
Let this Sink In!!!
Had a Blue State project been implemented in 2016 in Wisconsin, Florida, Michigan and Pennsylvania, Hillary Clinton would have been elected president in 2016. 🤦🏻♀️
The Power of Grassroots Activism
Today red or rather “rigged” states legislatures are the petri dishes for the egregious legislation surfacing on the national level. But grassroots activism has the potential to influence change if we have a strategy behind it.
We Need a Blue Indiana:
✅ It shows that everyone has the potential to influence change, no matter how small their actions may seem.
✅ Proper funding can empower candidates to run effective campaigns and engage more voters.
✅ When people unite and support each other, they can achieve greater things collectively
✅ Expanding outreach can lead to increased voter turnout and more diverse representation.
✅ When potential candidates know they have a community of support behind them, they are more apt to run for office.
And finally, local candidates know their communities the best. Candidates are local leaders who can transform the political landscape, if given the chance. It's not merely about winning elections; it's about building a community where everyone feels represented, heard and voters can hear the democratic message! Democrats Fight for the People!
Let’s give voters a reason to vote by giving them a choice on the ballot!
CALL TO ACTION:
✅ Support the Launch FUND for BLUE INDIANA. It is time for Indiana to be part of collective efforts to change the narrative. Indiana is not red we are “rigged” so let’s unrig ourselves!
Subscribe - Because "Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast"
Let's change the culture of how we increase voter turnout!!