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.

In the 2022 follow up to the original Ballots Against Bullets campaign, the effort took a more 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.

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.