Volunteers had nearly 10,000 long-form conversations with 2020 voters who didn’t vote in 2024 and found that 86% of them are planning to vote this November, as 78% of them say the country is heading in the wrong direction under Donald Trump and Republicans.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) announced the findings of its unprecedented Local Listeners Program after more than 400 volunteers joined the distributed organizing team in making 448,295 calls to voters who voted in 2020 but then sat out in 2024.
These calls into 61 battleground congressional districts over the last six months resulted in 9,707 long-form conversations with infrequent voters, which is more conversations than the number of votes that the House majority was decided by in 2024. In 2024, around 36% of eligible voters didn’t cast a ballot. From the nearly 10,000 long-form conversations with 2020 voters who didn’t vote in 2024, 86% of them said they plan to vote in the midterms this November, and 78% said the country is heading in the wrong direction under Donald Trump and Republicans. With an emphasis on listening to voters instead of talking at them, the average conversation lasted more than five minutes.
DNC Chair Ken Martin released the following statement about the results of the Local Listeners Program:
“With everything we care about on the line this November, Democrats are refusing to write any voter off or leave any vote on the table. Through our national Local Listeners program, we are not only engaging and turning out thousands of 2020 voters who sat out in 2024, but also equipping campaigns in battleground districts with the information, tools, and strategies they need to win these voters. I’m proud that our organizers and volunteers continue to do the work necessary to flip control of Congress, win state races, and make life more affordable for working families.”
During each open-ended conversation, volunteers asked voters how they’re feeling about the direction of the country and what issues are most important to them. The rising cost of living was the top concern across all demographic groups. Other major drivers of dissatisfaction were the price of groceries, gas, housing, and childcare being unaffordable, attacks on healthcare, the war with Iran, and the Trump administration’s cruelty.
During these listening sessions, volunteers also asked voters what they’re looking for from candidates and what it would take to earn their vote. Consistent themes across battleground congressional districts included that they want leaders who fight for them, that candidates need to be for working people, that campaigns should be positive and bring people together while talking about the issues, and that candidates need to inspire voters by sharing what they are for and what they want to deliver while in office.
The takeaways and lessons from these nearly 10,000 conversations with people who voted in 2020 but sat out in 2024 are already being shared with campaign staff, organizers, fellows, and volunteers on races up and down the ballot. The conclusions can help inform door knocking and phone banking scripts, organizing literature, general messaging, paid media, and outreach strategies.
Some examples of what voters in battleground districts shared include:
- “I am disabled and am an older person. I need to decide between food and medicine. I live with my children and three of them can’t afford insurance.” [CA]
- “Top issues are high prices for groceries and unaffordable housing.” [AK]
- “Healthcare sucks. The cost of living sucks. It all needs to be better.” [IA]
- “Need better healthcare access, need rental assistance, need a higher minimum wage. Overall concerned about affordability issues — the cost of living is too high, and Social Security benefits are too low.” [IN]
- “I wish politicians knew that so many people in my community, regardless of socioeconomic status, are struggling. The biggest thing is the cost of gas, groceries, and housing and housing instability.” [NY]
- “Rents are sky high and people do not have access to affordable food. These services are necessary for their families. We need better education and housing. Everything is going up but salaries.” [NJ]
- “In our household of two, both are working full-time along with a part-time job, and we’re still struggling to pay rent on a one-bedroom apartment.” [NY]
- “Tariffs need to go away. We’re paying the price with taxes on everything.” [CA]
- “We can’t afford the cost of living and now we can’t retire.” [MT]
- “Costs are too high. Food prices, gas — I don’t go anywhere unless I have to. It takes every cent I have to make it through the month. I don’t think we should be in this war.” [MI]
- “I’m against the war. Everything is too expensive. I will vote for people who don’t support war.” [NC]
- “The cost of living is too high, including for basics like food. Wages are also stagnant and at a standstill.” [MI]
- “Medicine prices are up. They should look out for the working people and retirees.” [NY]
- “The cost of everything is going up, and more and more people are not able to fund normal activities. The assistance like Medicaid and food stamps are being cut too. There are going to be more people losing their homes.” [NC]
- “Inflation is very bad. Healthcare is a big issue and access to healthcare has gotten worse. It costs too much to have healthcare.” [FL]
- “I’m 67 years old and can’t retire because I don’t have enough money. The problem is getting worse for seniors as things get more expensive, including healthcare. Our standard of living is declining.” [TN]
- “Take care of prices! Everything is not affordable anymore. My medications are not covered under insurance and are unaffordable.” [NY]
- “Childcare costs are out of control and there’s no help for it. People can’t afford childcare and it means they can’t go to work to make more money.” [TN]
- “The war in Iran is a disaster. No accountability for the president’s actions. Affordability is on everyone’s minds here. The war will compound the issue of affordability.” [ME]
- “Want a living wage. The current minimum wage is not enough to pay for things and save up.” [NV]
- “I think the regular person is suffering right now. Social services are not being funded properly, and the cost of gas is going up. Our access to proper food and housing is not proper or correct. People are really suffering.” [WA]
- “Being a senior is not easy right now. Healthcare costs are rising and I don’t qualify for any programs. No nutrition assistance, nothing. Social Security isn’t enough, so I have to work when I should be retired.” [AZ]
- “My son is on Medicaid and needs it for medications. Housing prices and the cost of living are out of control.” [NV]
- “They have to put money into Americans, not foreign wars, so our families can eat. They don’t know how to be poor, what that’s like and what happens to us when food stamps get cut.” [MI]
