The Politics of Apathy: How Low Engagement Voters Shape Elections

Speaker A: 00:00:01

The following is an episode of the Grassroots Freedom Initiative Podcast. This episode is the audio from videos released on our YouTube and Rumble channels.

There may be times in this episode when we refer to information displayed on the screen that is impossible to provide in podcast format. However, links to the video version of this episode as well as links to sources mentioned in this episode can be found in this episode's Show Notes.

Now, the Grassroots Freedom Initiative Podcast.

Like many heart attack victims need intensive care, low engagement voters in Ohio need intensive care.

Our intensive care, our outreach, our encouragement and our friendship to embrace self-governance, to become more engaged and by doing so protecting the future of our communities, state and nation. We need them in our movement and to win them over we must go to them and approach them like they want to be approached.

This video is the first of several that explain how we can do this.

Low engagement voters, also called low information voters or uninformed voters, are individuals who participate in elections with limited knowledge about political issues, candidates or policies.

We have coined the phrase low engagement voters because we feel it's more appropriate in referring to and less critical of this incredibly important voting bloc in a world where many of our elections are decided by a few percentage points. Surveys suggest that 5% to 15% of voters are undecided in the final weeks leading up to an election, and some make their decisions on election day.

Low engagement voters tend to base their voting decisions on more superficial factors rather than substantive political analysis, often called heuristic decision. Decision making. Heuristics are mental shortcuts used to make decisions quickly without having all the relevant information.

Examples of heuristic decision making include A group is deciding between a new restaurant and a restaurant they have been to many times and ultimately goes to the restaurant they usually go to.

A driver takes the familiar route to work every day, even though there is another faster way customers buy the same brands over and over regardless of the quality of the products. In elections. Heuristic shortcuts like party affiliation, endorsements or candidate appearance allow low engagement voters to make decisions.

Instead of researching platforms or policies, let’s explore some other characteristics of low engagement voters.

The Influence of Media and Advertising Political ads, slogans and sound bites can disproportionately influence low engagement voters since they may not delve into the detailed political discourse.

Partisan Loyalty Many low engagement voters are strongly partisan, voting consistently for one party regardless of specific candidate, actions or policies.

Demographic Tendencies Low engagement voters are more likely to have lower levels of education, lower income, and less frequently access reliable news sources.

Limited civic Engagement Low engagement voters often do not engage in political discussions or follow politics closely, leading to a narrower understanding of political issues. Why do low engagement voters Exist?

The complexity of Politics the vast amount of information and complexity of issues can discourage people from becoming well informed. Time constraints, busy schedules, and competing priorities can limit the time people devote to understanding political issues.

Mistrust in information sources A lack of trust in media or political institutions can lead people to avoid seeking out information altogether. How do low engagement voters impact elections and how do candidates appeal to or take advantage of low engagement voters?

Low engagement voters are susceptible to misinformation. Low information voters are more likely to be influenced by misinformation or simplistic narratives.

In other words, candidates can lie and get away with it. Candidates tailor strategies to them.

Politicians often tailor campaigns to appeal to these voters, focusing on emotional appeals, slogans, and symbolic gestures rather than nuanced policy discussions. They are often the swing votes in tight elections.

Low engagement voters can significantly sway outcomes, particularly if they rely on last minute impressions. They are perfect targets to polarize simplified messaging.

Targeting low engagement voters can contribute to political polarization as nuanced policy discussions are replaced by binary arguments. Low engagement voters are susceptible to the tactics that money allows bad candidates to use to win.

Money allows bad candidates to get elected by amplifying their visibility, influencing public perception, and overpowering better qualified or more ethical opponents. Here's how this happens.

Buying an overwhelming media presence Candidates with large financial backing can saturate flood media platforms with ads, drowning out competitors and shaping voter opinions.

Wealthy candidates or those with substantial donors can fund sophisticated social media campaigns, including targeted ads and propaganda using special interest influence. Candidates heavily funded by special interests may prioritize those interests over the needs of their constituents.

They become donor driven rather than constituent or voter driven. PACs and Super PACs can raise unlimited funds to support candidates, often running negative campaigns against opponents to sway voters.

Grassroots disruptor and upstart candidates almost never get the support of these financial behemoths.

Disinformation Campaigns Wealthy campaigns can use resources to spread false or misleading information about opponents, confusing voters or damaging reputations.

The creation of fake grassroots movements through astroturfing funded by wealthy interests to manipulate public opinion BLM, Occupy Wall Street both are examples of this. Suppressing opposition Candidates with significant funding can outspend their opponents on advertising, legal challenges, and other campaign needs.

Wealthier campaigns can use legal and bureaucratic tactics because they can afford legal teams to challenge or disqualify opponents or stymie their fundraising efforts.

Lack of equal access money Centric politics makes it difficult for less wealthy but potentially better candidates to compete, as they may struggle to fundraise enough to gain visibility. This is a formidable barrier for grassroots candidates.

Candidates with more money are more likely to meet thresholds for participation in debates and receive media attention, exploiting voter apathy.

Money can overwhelm low engagement voters with simplistic, emotionally charged messaging, often sidelining nuanced debates about policy or qualifications. Funded campaigns can use data driven approaches to exploit voter fears and biases rather than engaging on substantive issues.

These dynamics contribute to an electoral system where financial resources often outweigh merit or qualifications, potentially leading to the election of candidates who may not best represent the public's interests.

You've probably realized that factual information can fight every one of these tactics, and the information dissemination can cost nothing but our time and personal effort. Imagine beating dishonest and unscrupulous candidates by spreading information from person to person in Ohio. It can be done.

It must be done, especially with the help of social media and mass electronic communication like texts and emails. How do you and I help inform these critically important low engagement voters?

All of us need to work to expand civic education in schools and communities to help low engagement voters understand political processes and issues.

We at the Grassroots Freedom Initiative, or GFI for short, are also contributing to this effort with outreach videos like the one you're watching, our information packed website, social media and our email, text and discussion forum capabilities.

Media literacy through capabilities like those just explained Teaching people how to evaluate news critically to reduce susceptibility to misinformation Accessible information using tools like our videos and website to simplify and disseminate nonpartisan fact based political content to empower low engagement voters to make informed decisions Community engagement Encouraging grassroots political discussions and voter outreach programs using our systems capabilities to increase civic awareness and participate participation now that you know the characteristics of low engagement voters, look for, develop relationships with and befriend those of them in your family circle of friends and community. Go slowly. Develop a relationship of trust where you earn the right to introduce the topic of civil engagement into a discussion.

Don't try to do an instant conversion. Civic engagement is a process, not an event. Think of civic engagement as a ladder. One must climb rung by rung, with the lowest rung being low risk.

Simple free participation maybe following an account on social media or watching a YouTube or rumble video. And the highest rung perhaps is running for public office.

In politics as well as marketing and organizations, this is called the ladder of engagement. In other words, it's almost never possible to get someone to go from a standing start to 100 miles an hour in the snap of one's fingers.

You should also feel free to suggest they take a look at our educational videos and join our email and text lists to enhance their civic aptitude and grasp the first rung on the self-governance ladder of engagement. This video is brought to you by the Grassroots Freedom Initiative, or GFI for short.

If you're not already on our email and text lists, please be sure to join our network of thousands of Ohioans. It's easy, free and we won't ask you for money.

ge or text the letters GFI to: 66866

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