In 2020, Change the Ref launched Ballots Against Bullets, a campaign exposing politicians who failed to reduce gun violence. The campaign superimposed voter ballots over crime scene images from mass shootings, with bullet holes checking the boxes for politicians in office when the shooting took place, and who failed to prevent the crime through gun reform.

In 2022, we once again set out to remind voters of the importance of gun reform, and encouraged them to not re-elect pro-gun politicians. Following the first edition’s success, the bar for creativity and impact was already high, so it was important this work pushed the conversation forward. The creative approach had to look new and shock voters with the same message.

The goal was to continue driving awareness around why gun policies matters during voting, while highlighting politicians who have historically failed to support measures reducing gun violence in the U.S.

We used our platform to remind voters that they could fight gun violence through their vote.

The 2022 midterms were critical– it marked the highest record for voter turnout in a midterm election according to the Census Bureau, which means we were talking to the largest group of midterm voters ever. And support for gun control in this election increased by 11% compared to the previous midterm election in 2018.

In this record-breaking political climate, the results were positive. 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 brands like Change the Ref is crucial.

The prints addressed an issue that has become one of America’s most heated political discussions. They were especially relevant during the 2022 U.S. Midterm elections, since voters would be electing state legislators as well as U.S. Congress representatives who play a large role in passing policies in favor of gun control.

The campaign aimed to raise awareness among the voting population in the states of Florida, Texas and Georgia, where pro-gun candidates are often elected, exposing politicians who had been in office during mass shootings and did nothing to prevent it from happening again.