A Reuters/Ipsos poll released in 2019 found that 34% of Republican-registered voters and 32.5% of Democratic-registered voters in the 2018 elections didn’t even know the name of their party's congressional candidates in their districts, let alone their positions on key issues like gun violence. For Change The Ref, this is dangerous and unacceptable since it implies the nation is electing many pro-gun politicians without a true understanding of the consequences. We wanted to visualize these dire consequences by showing people that their ballot can become a bullet.

We had three main objectives for this campaign, all which ladder up to the overarching purpose of education and raising awareness.

1. Increase the number of anti-gun candidates elected in the 2022 U.S. midterm elections.

2. Elevate 'gun policy' as a top priority for voters during the 2022 U.S. midterms.

3. Generate organic social buzz, increasing our engagement rate versus our previous

We photographed the bullet scars of survivors, some of which our team members knew personally, and placed voting ballots over them the bullet holes checking the box for pro-gun politicians. Each print included the voter ballot specific to the state where it ran, visualizing the horrible consequences of selecting politicians who don’t support measures to reduce gun violence in the U.S.

Before election day, we placed the campaign near voting sites, across social media, and newspapers inviting people to not vote for a candidate who is against gun violence prevention.

A key insight is that many U.S. voters often don't know much about the candidates they’re voting for in the midterms. Before the elections, most conversations primarily focused on candidates' positions regarding the economy, immigration policies and abortion rights. Within this context, it was crucial to make gun policy front and center during the election season. We aimed to encourage people who were thinking about supporting some politicians without knowing that they were pro-gun to reconsider and understand the potential societal consequences of their vote.

Before the elections, most conversations were primarily focused on candidates' positions regarding the economy, immigration policies and abortion rights. Within this context, it was crucial to remind voters of the importance of also considering a candidate's stance on guns. We aimed to encourage people who were thinking about supporting some politicians without knowing that they were pro-gun to reconsider and understand the potential societal consequences of their vote.

Many U.S. voters often don't know much about the candidates they’re voting for in the midterms, and how their midterm vote could impact their lives. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released in 2019 found that 34% of Republican-registered voters and 32.5% of Democratic-registered voters in the 2018 U.S. elections didn’t even know the name of their party's congressional candidates in their districts, let alone their positions on key issues like gun violence. For Change The Ref, this is dangerous and unacceptable. and implies the nation is electing pro-gun politicians without a true understanding of the consequences.

We wanted to visualize the dire consequences of voting for the wrong candidates by showing people that their ballot can become a bullet.

We photographed the bullet scars of survivors, some of which our team members knew personally, and placed voting ballots over them the bullet holes checking the box for pro-gun politicians. Each print included the voter ballot specific to the state where it ran, visualizing the horrible consequences of selecting politicians who don’t support measures to reduce gun violence in the U.S.

The effort took a personal approach, enlisting real survivors of gun violence to make the case for gun control.

The images of ballots were superimposed over survivors' bullet scars, and their wounds “checked” the box for politicians voted into office who opposed gun reforms. The survivors’ torsos and backs were the focal points of the shot, posing on a dark background with their heads out of frame. The images were strategically lit to ensure the scars are visible to the viewer and the message is clearly displayed.

The survivors showcased a diverse range of physicalities, ethnicities, and ages to showcase gun violence can affect anyone, regardless of demographic. A few digital enhancements including color correction and sharpening effect were applied to dramatize the images.

Support for gun control in this election increased by 11% compared to the 2018 midterm election. According to a post-election poll by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 62% of voters said gun policy was an important factor in their vote in the 2022 midterm elections, up from 52% in 2018.

In the Senate, Democrats who supported gun control measures won two seats, while Republicans who opposed gun control lost five. At state and local levels, Gen-Z candidates that ran campaigns centered on gun reform were elected, including 25-year-old Democrat Maxwell Frost, who was elected to Florida’s 10th Congressional District, which includes Orlando, the site of the Pulse Nightclub mass shooting in 2016.

And while these results mark a step forward, there is still a long way to go. That’s why the continuous work of organizations like Change the Ref is crucial for the future of our nation.