Votar NO a Proposicion CC

Challenge

The No on CC Campaign engaged Novitas Communications to help shape the political landscape in opposition to Proposition CC. The No on CC campaign was formed in an effort to inform voters that, by voting to permanently forego their tax refunds, they would in fact be increasing taxes on themselves. The goal was to inform the Latino population of the disproportionate and unequitable funding to schools that would result from the passing of Proposition CC. Their communities would not receive the support expected from Proposition CC and, worse, the measure would exacerbate the lack of education funding equity.

The “Yes” side was better funded by a 3-to-1 margin, but Colorado voters needed to be educated about the measure.

About

Proposition CC was a statewide ballot measure in Colorado which, had it passed, would have eliminated tax refunds guaranteed by the state constitution’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. Proponents of the measure claimed they would use taxpayer refunds, estimated by the state budget office to total $1.7 billion over three years, to fund schools, roads, and other public services. The ballot language didn’t codify or specific exactly how these funds would be spent, making the measure a referendum on whether to give lawmakers a slush fund. Most disconcerting, The Denver Post noted CC would increase disparities between schools that have and those that have not, disproportionately affecting the Latino population.

Solution

To win an election in an environment with such a massive difference in financial resources, we had to fight both smarter and harder. We accessed early polling that showed the “Yes” campaign winning. After we evaluated polling that showed the “No” campaign losing, we looked at how the opposition was spending its money, and what audiences they were targeting. This research led to the conclusion that the opponents were neglecting Latino voters, a significant voting block in Colorado elections. We researched previous polling which showed the Latino community prioritized education and opportunity above almost every other issue. In addition, as a block, the Latino population was eager to learn about public policy issues like Proposition CC.

There are nearly 700,000 Latino registered voters in Colorado, and we identified 11 counties with the largest Latino populations for our campaign. We knew that if we could connect with Latino voters in these 11 counties before election day in November, we stood a great chance of winning the election statewide, which was the ultimate goal.

We exploited the fact that the Denver Post noted that Proposition CC would increase disparities between wealthy and poor schools, disproportionately affecting the Latino population. Yes on CC neglected to push their message in Spanish Language outreach, but we pushed our messaging loud and clear to the Latino community through a compelling online video.

To connect with the Latino community, we created a video that starred Colombian-American mom, Yuli, who described the opportunity that education provided her family. Yuli explained that Proposition CC would not deliver what was promised for schools and would hurt some schools that most needed help.

Results

The video was a key contributor to defeating Proposition CC, 54% to 46%. It proved that correct targeting could mean everything in an election. Yuli’s impassioned plea caught the attention of the Spanish-speaking community across Colorado and shifted sentiment among the community.

Not only did the “No” vote win all 11 counties with the largest Latinx populations, but it also won in Democratic majority counties like Pueblo (by 11 points). While this wasn’t a partisan issue, it appealed more to the left than the right. In Conejos County, which is majority (56%) Latinx, we won almost two-to-one (62.78% to 37.22%).

The “Yes” side was better funded, spending over $5 million. However, Colorado voters needed to be educated about the measure. The “No” side was precise in our targeting, and placed a great deal of emphasis on winning Spanish-language voters who are historically swing voters in Colorado. The ad worked and secured a win for No on CC.