SANTA MONICA, CA — With Election Day rapidly approaching, a new animated short can help Californians make informed decisions when they vote on the seventeen statewide propositions on the ballot. Created by Consumer Watchdog as a non-partisan resource for easy sharing, “Who’s Behind the Props?” explains the ballot measures and each prop’s top financial backers in two and half minutes.
“With so much focus on the top of the ticket, Californians may not realize that we have a Blockbuster Ballot with important decisions ranging from marijuana legalization, to gun control, to the death penalty, and much more,” said John Ennis, Democracy advocate at Consumer Watchdog. “People are inundated with information during campaigns, we just wanted voters to learn about these important choices and be able to make up their own minds.”
The video uses animated text, emoji-style artwork, electronica music, and sound effects to zip through the ballot measures, which cover everything from school bonds to condoms in adult films. “Rather than feel overwhelmed, we want voters in California to feel empowered,” said Ennis. “There are some weighty decisions in this election, from changing prison sentencing to changing the pricing of prescription drugs. It’s vital that everyone votes, but it’s not easy to find out about what the props are or who’s behind them. This PSA helps inform and engage voters.”
This video is another installment of CWD’s #VoteForReal campaign, a non-partisan effort to engage citizens in the electoral process separate from the much-debated presidential race. In its first 24 hours on Facebook, the video has thousands of views and has been shared dozens of times, showing the need for helpful voter resources. One Facebook commenter remarked, “That was fun”!