Progressive Group Launches 26 Million Postcard Campaign in Swing States

The Progressive Turnout Project (PTP), a Chicago-based progressive PAC, is launching its "Postcards to Swing States program" to boost voter turnout in 11 key swing states ahead of the 2024 election. The program aims to send 26 million handwritten postcards to "inconsistent" Democratic voters, with the goal of increasing voter turnout by 1%.

Why this matters: This campaign's success or failure could have a significant impact on the outcome of the 2024 election, particularly in closely contested swing states. Moreover, the use of data-driven methods to boost voter turnout could set a new precedent for political campaigns and influence the future of democratic engagement.

The PTP will invest $1.82 million in the program, part of a larger $30 million effort to boost voter turnout. The postcards will be sent to voters in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin. The program will be carried out by 203,000 volunteers who will handwrite the postcards.

"Our research over the past three cycles has proven that handwritten postcards can boost voter turnout by an average of 1 percent," said PTP President Alex Morgan. "We love using data-driven methods to boost Democratic turnout and our volunteers love to write postcards, so this is a match made in heaven that will make all the difference for President Biden and Democrats up and down the ticket this November."

The PTP projects that the postcard campaign will increase turnout by 260,000 voters heading into November, with a significant impact in Georgia, where President Biden won by fewer than 12,000 votes in 2020. The PTP has four goals in 2024: help reelect President Biden, keep the Senate in control of the Democrats, flip the lower chamber blue, and strike victories in some state-level contests.

The launch of the postcard campaign comes as former President Donald Trump has refused to commit to accepting the results of the 2024 election, sparking concerns about the integrity of the electoral process. Trump has repeatedly made baseless claims about Democrats cheating to win elections, raising concerns about potential political violence.

President Biden's campaign has criticized Trump's message. "You can't love your country only when you win. But for Donald Trump, his campaign for revenge and retribution reigns supreme," said James Singer, spokesman for Biden's campaign. The President himself has emphasized respecting the right to protest while noting "it doesn't mean anything goes."

The 2024 presidential election is expected to be highly contested, with issues like immigration, abortion, and voter turnout taking center stage. The Progressive Turnout Project's postcard campaign aims to mobilize Democratic voters in key swing states to help secure victories for President Biden and down-ballot Democrats. With millions of handwritten postcards set to be mailed out by hundreds of thousands of volunteers, the PTP hopes its data-driven approach will make a critical difference in November.

Key Takeaways

• Progressive Turnout Project launches "Postcards to Swing States" program to boost voter turnout in 11 key states.
• The program aims to send 26 million handwritten postcards to "inconsistent" Democratic voters.
• Goal is to increase voter turnout by 1% in closely contested swing states.
• $1.82 million invested in the program, part of a larger $30 million effort to boost voter turnout.
• 203,000 volunteers will handwrite postcards to mobilize Democratic voters in key swing states.