Prop A ReportProp A Report
Third Time’s the Charm:Third Time’s the Charm:St. Louis County’s Initiative St. Louis County’s Initiative
to Pass a Transit Taxto Pass a Transit Tax
The Challenge
Overcome negative perceptions of Metro
Establish need to resume service cuts
Establish need to expand the system
Campaign Strategy
Two-phase campaign: Education & Advocacy
Broad-based campaign committee Business community support Coalition building Targeted messaging Sufficient campaign/education
budgets Research and polling Follow keys to success
The Keys to Success
Keys to Success
Citizen-driven campaign – not a Metro Campaign
Identification of champions—community and business leaders
Focus on transit’s role in community, not Metro specifically
Professional campaign management
Fundraising
Keys to Success
Create educational website Develop Speakers’ Bureau and
collateral Design winning messaging strategy Implement Social Media Stay on message
Keys to Success
Number 1
Get on Message andStay on Message
Radio
Radio
#4 Long-term Vision
Educational Website
#4 Long-term Vision
Speakers’ Bureau Collateral
Keys to Success
Number 6
Build a Coalition of Support
#6 Build Coalition of Support
Use respected community leaders, to step up and deliver the truth about public transportation
#6 Build Coalition of Support
“I Love Transit”
Keys to Success
Remember Number 1
Get on Message and Stay on Message
#1 Stay on Message
“Hitchhiker”
#1 Stay on Message
Local Bus Shelter
Advocacy Campaign
Citizens For Modern Transits’ Education campaign softened the ground by educating voters about the value of public transit for everyone
Advance St. Louis’ Advocacy Campaign, headed by Mayor John Nations of Chesterfield, then told voters what to do: Vote Yes on Prop A
Advocacy Campaign
Advocacy Campaign
Organized get-out-the-vote phone bank Voter turnout for April elections
usually at 13-15% April 2010 voter turnout exceeded
22% (per Joseph Donahue, St. Louis County Board of Election Commissioners)
Advocacy Campaign
Mike Shannon St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster
The Results
Overwhelmingly won the early vote Opposition demoralized by election
day Tracking polls positive Higher voter turnout Dramatic change in
“yes” votes across campaign years
Final margin of victory 63% to 37%
The Results
Increase of Support for Proposition A Compared to Proposition M
Questions?Thomas R. Shrout, Jr.Executive Director
Citizens for Modern Transit