By now, every registered California voter should have received their ballot for the upcoming gubernatorial recall election. Election Day is less than one week away, Sept. 14. So, in the little time left, how can we effectively get people to understand how important it is to vote NO?
There are many negative points we can make about the 46 candidates vying to step into Gov. Gavin Newsom’s shoes, particularly the one who is leading the race. We can point to other states (Florida, Texas, we’re looking at you …) as examples of what could happen here if Newsom is recalled. But the experts tell us that positive, affirmative messaging is much more effective in getting the vote out.
In this poorly named op-ed in The New York Times, Ezra Klein discusses the many successes and accomplishments of Newsom’s 2 ½ years in office. If you’re stuck behind the paywall, under Newsom’s leadership, Californians have enjoyed:
- a booming economy that gave them extra stimulus checks
- better health outcomes during the pandemic than most states
- protection of the environment with policies leading to carbon neutrality and preservation of land and water resources
- big tax credits
- increased funding for public schools, including two free meals a day, summer school and aftercare, and a new transitional kindergarten program
- expanded paid and unpaid family leave
- investment in housing and mental health care for homeless people, and more.
Yes, California, there is much to brag about, so let’s start getting the word out: “California leads the way.”
Gavin Newsom created this video when he was running for governor in 2018. And despite the pandemic, he’s managed to improve life for Californians.
As messaging expert ASO Communications noted recently:
“California is headed in the right direction out of this pandemic and toward making this a state where all of our families are respected and have what we need, no matter our skin color, accent, or religion. We are leading the way in this recovery, as we have long led the way in innovation, jobs, and freedom for all of us to be ourselves.”
Here are a few tips for your own messaging, also courtesy of ASO Communications:
- Show a positive vision of California that a NO voter represents.
- Focus on California pride, values and vision rather than our opposition.
- Remind folks that saying “No to the recall” means saying NO to division, anger, hatred, and moving backward.
- When calling out the opposition, be sure to cast them as deliberately divisive.
To help you get the word out about the importance of voting NO on the recall, we have put together posts for social media that you can use with your own accounts. You can find posts like the ones below right here.
Every registered voter in California received a ballot. Use it to vote NO to the recall. Your NO vote says we keep moving forward. Out of the pandemic and toward a bright future leading in innovation, jobs and California values like freedom.
Join our social media campaign today and spread the word: NO to the recall!