How to Win Over Midterm Voters Based On the Issues, Not the Party

Single-Issue Voters Midterm Elections 2022

A few weeks ago, we published a blog revealing AI-built voter audiences who are singularly motivated this election season by SCOTUS’ decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.   

Around the same time, the New York Times published an article that also underscored the importance of the issue-based midterm voter. That article focused on another critical online voter segment: voters choosing candidates based on their positions related to mandated vaccines for school children, student mask mandates, and the candidates’ position on school closures/lockdowns during the height of the pandemic.  

Below are some excerpts from the article:  

“A lot of Democrats might think these voters are now unreachable, even if they voted for the party recently,” said Dan Pfeiffer, a Democratic political adviser to former President Barack Obama.  

Many congregated in Facebook groups that initially focused on advocating in-person schooling. Those groups soon latched onto other issues, such as anti-mask and anti-vaccine messaging.   

“I’m a single-issue voter now, and I can’t see myself supporting Democratic Party candidates unless they show they fought to keep our kids in school and let parents make decisions about masks and vaccines.”  

The Facebook groups were just the beginning of an online journey that took some parents from more mainstream views of reopening schools toward a single-issue position. 

AI-Powered Voter Models for Custom Political Campaigns 

At Resonate, our AI voter models are custom-built in real time to identify and segment these types of issue-driven voters based on what is sparking their passions. By leveraging proprietary issue-based survey insights and algorithmic online behavioral models, Resonate can immediately find, analyze, and target voters who will likely choose candidates not based on a party but the issues most important to their everyday lives. If you have creative that speaks to a single-issue voter (i.e., abortion policy, COVID regulations, fiscal policy, crime/law enforcement, immigration, healthcare, education, the environment, etc.), Resonate can target them across all digital screens, including CTV. 

Single-Issue Voter Segments Inside the Resonate Ignite Platform 

To put our models to the test, we clicked through our platform and instantly found the types of voters referenced in the NYT article. These voters will be at the polls this November and are more likely to vote for candidates based on their actions/positions, not necessarily party affiliation. 

Note for Resonate customers: These audiences are available for immediate targeting. Talk to us! 

7.6M Registered Democrats Online who Oppose Mandated Vaccines for School Children Audience Introduction Report | Midterm Voters DemocratAbove is a quick snapshot of registered Democratic voters online who oppose mandated vaccines for school children. It’s not surprising that at least half of this audience has school-aged children, and at least a quarter of this segment is younger, ages 35-44. 

It also won’t surprise you that compared to the average registered Democrat online, this Democratic audience is 54% more likely to be driven by expressing their individuality and 30% more likely to be devoted to their faith/religion. 

Key Insight: Compared to the average Democrat voter, this audience is 53% more likely to have their candidate choice influenced by political advertising. 

Top Issues | Midterm Voters Democrats

Other top issues for this particular Democratic segment are pro-choice policies (compared to the average Democrat, these Democrats are 40% more likely to be pro-choice) and reforming entitlement programs. 

Now, you may be asking yourself, are these voters actually Democrats? While they take a hard line on individuality, oppose mandatory school vaccinations, support pro-choice policies, etc., the answer is YES. In fact, compared to your average Democrat online, in 2020, they were 34% more likely to vote for Biden! 

2022 Midterm Voters who Voted for Biden

The above voter audience is just one of thousands of niche 2022 midterm segments available for immediate targeting through Resonate. Voter turnout means everything this November. When it comes to the issues driving ballot decisions in local races, Resonate is here to ensure you are using robust, data-driven segmentation and precise targeting to drive immediate, meaningful action – when it counts! Contact us today to learn what Resonate can do for your campaign. 

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