Messaging Guide

16. Voting & Elections

Begin in agreement, for example: In a democracy, the right to vote is a fundamental freedom.

Our values: Freedom, liberty, fundamental rights, basic rights, democracy

Our vision: In America, the right to vote is a fundamental freedom. And because we are the leading democracy in the world, our election system ought to be completely free, fair and accessible. The way we conduct elections today is obsolete. We need to eliminate long lines, cut costs, make it more convenient for eligible citizens to vote, maintain the integrity of the voting system, and stop the rich and powerful from exercising undue influence on the process. In short, we must: (1) guarantee that every citizen can register to vote; (2) ensure that all citizens can cast their ballots; and (3) crack down on the way campaign financing corrupts public policy.

In general, progressives seek to make voter registration simpler and more accurate and voting more convenient. Right wingers try to make it harder for eligible Americans to register and vote. Your argument is based on freedom, patriotism and the modernization of our outmoded voting systems. Their argument is based on the unfounded fear of voter fraud, often imagined as fraudulent voting by African Americans and immigrants.

Whether you are arguing for a progressive reform or against a right-wing restriction, begin with a statement of your values.

Why . . .

You must put the conversation in context. When talking about voting, progressives have two great advantages that are too-rarely used by our side:

First, the most popular and powerful value in political debate is freedom. Use it here. If voting is understood as a basic right like freedom of speech, then it should never be curbed unless it risks an immediate, serious threat to public security (shouting fire in a crowded theater). Our freedom to vote should never be limited without an overriding reason, and none exists. If you can win the frame that voting is a fundamental freedom, you’ll ultimately win the argument.

Second, Americans are proud of American democracy and an appeal to that feeling of patriotism helps to persuade them.

Here’s a narrative that opposes voting restrictions generally:

What to say about voter fraud

If someone tries to cast a ballot by impersonating an eligible voter, that’s a crime punishable by years in prison. Because the penalty is severe, with no real advantage to the perpetrator, this crime almost never happens. And yet, impersonation is the only kind of voter fraud that could be prevented by requiring people to display photo identification.

The problem is, many Americans firmly believe that voter fraud exists. According to a Washington Post/ABC News poll, 46 percent of all voters and 69 percent of Trump voters believe that very or somewhat often “the same person vot[es] multiple times or someone vote[s] who is not eligible.” Americans probably believe that because we do have an anecdotal history of “voting from the graveyard,” and the 2000 election exposed the fact that some election administrators are extremely inept.

Why . . .

Expect the right wing to cry voter fraud no matter what legislation is being considered. The best messaging advice is—don’t say the F-word. You cannot win the argument by educating voters that fraud is rare. Instead, acknowledge the importance of protecting the integrity of our elections and push the debate away from fraud and toward the goal of making elections free, fair and accessible. That poll-tested phrase is discussed in the report How to Talk About Voting from the Brennan Center for Justice and the Advancement Project. It works. And don’t use the language voter suppression or disenfranchisement because those are polarizing terms; say “making it harder to vote” or “making it harder to exercise our freedom to vote” instead.

When arguing against voter ID legislation, appeal to freedom and patriotism as suggested in the narrative above, and then:

Why . . .

The narrative above never uses the word fraud and does not dispute the existence of voter fraud. It suggests instead that this particular legislation is flawed. Specifically, it makes three points:

1. Long lines—In considering any policy, people first want to know how it affects them personally. Voter ID will increase everyone’s waiting time at the polls, perhaps by a lot. Let voters understand they will be personally inconvenienced by this law.
2. Taxpayer costs—Right now any unnecessary government spending is unpopular. A photo ID requirement means the government will have to pay to educate voters about the new rules, educate precinct officials, and perhaps pay for staff or machinery in order to speed up the delays it will cause. This may sound like a small point, but it played a big role in winning the Minnesota referendum on voter ID.
3. Making it harder to vote—This is the most important argument but, to be effective, limit your examples to the most sympathetic victims. Average Americans can be persuaded by focusing on seniors and veterans who are lifelong voters; often they no longer have valid driver’s licenses and they would have a hard time getting substitute ID. Swing voters are less likely to be persuaded by hearing about people in poverty who lack identification.

Do not underestimate the difficulty of the progressive argument. Average Americans generally believe the conservative talking points are true. After all, they have to show photo ID whenever they get on an airplane and even when they buy Sudafed at the drugstore. Why not require it to vote? Understand that you start this debate at a severe disadvantage, so you must be mindful of Americans’ beliefs and use the best-informed messaging to win them over.

Progressive voting reforms

In many states, the voter registration and Election Day systems are ancient, inefficient and inaccurate. That’s why we need to modernize these systems with processes and technologies that are commonplace everywhere else except in the administration of elections.

Why . . .

Progressives usually want to talk about how automatic, online or Election Day registration helps people who are not registered. They want to explain how early or absentee voting helps people who aren’t otherwise able to vote. But overwhelmingly, the audience you’re trying to persuade is registered and manages to vote. So you need to talk about how progressive reforms benefit them personally—for example, how listeners deserve the convenience of their voter registration being automatically transferred to a new address when they move.

There are many important proactive election reforms. When you argue for any of them, appeal to modern technologies and modern life. “The system needs to be modernized and brought into the 21^st century.” “Today’s outdated system is vulnerable to manipulation and human error.” “In this day and age, no one should ever be denied the fundamental freedom to vote when commonplace technology can ensure our elections are free, fair and accessible.”

Right wing argument: Online registration will lead to voter fraud.

Right wing argument: Early voting is not worth the cost.