Firefighters & EMS Fund 2022 Ballot Measure Results Recap

ARLINGTON, Va. - Nov. 28, 2023 - PRLog -- In Fall of 2022, Firefighters and EMS Fund tested its singular capability to turn out voters during elections who are likely to support local ballot measures that will benefit local fire departments. Firefighters and EMS Fund chose to engage voters who did not vote in recent elections, indicating those voters were under-served.

Firefighters and EMS Fund targeted four cities around the US: Oswego, Illinois; Strongsville, Ohio; Marion, Ohio; and Oak Harbor, Washington.

In Oswego, the fire district requested that a levy which was defeated in June this year be placed on the ballot once more. We at Firefighters and EMS Fund hoped this would be an easy win for the Oswego Fire Protection District given that it was defeated in June by a margin of a single vote. We targeted 24,926 pro-tax individuals who do not vote in Midterm elections. Of the 24,926 we targeted, 5,854 turned out in the 2022 midterm. Unfortunately, the local fire department was unable to overcome community opposition to the measure, and it failed by a larger margin than before.

In Marion, a levy was placed on the ballot to help replace a fire station that has been outgrown by the department, modernize another, and place heavy equipment on a replacement cycle. The levy will generate $1.08 million annually and was passed with 4,155 "Yes" votes and 3,038 "No" votes. We targeted 24,211 pro-tax Strongsville and Marion residents who did not vote in the 2018 midterm, of which 5,677 turned out in 2022. Fortunately both ballot measures passed confidently.

In Oak Harbor, a referendum was held to raise property taxes, supporting the Fire Department's ability to hire new staff, purchase more equipment, and build a new station. 60%+ supermajority was required for the bonds to pass. We targeted 10,800 pro-tax Oak Harbor residents who did not vote in the 2018 midterm. Of which, 3,501 turned out in 2022.

In all, Firefighters and EMS Fund targeted 59,937 voters who did not vote in 2018, of which- 15,032 responded to our calls to action. Considering the margins by which the measures passed or failed above, it is evident that our ability to impact these elections is sufficient to drive meaningful change at the ballot box. We are proud of the positive impact it made on fire departments during the 2022 Primary Election season and are grateful for the continued opportunity to support pro-fire and EMS politicians, firefighters, and departments around the country.

For more information, visit www.fireandemsfund.com