Introduction to the AFR Exclusive Podcast and the Importance of Voting in Upcoming Midterm Elections
Jenna Ellis: Foreign. This is our AFR exclusive podcast where we do a deep dive into topics that you need to hear about from guests that you love to hear from. And today's show I think is very timely. Ahead of the midterms and discussing all things voting and of course turning out the vote. President Trump last week at the GOP midterm convention, which is the first of its kind, a monumental, said, pretend that I'm on the ballot, you know, make sure that you turn out. And of course is very concerned about Republicans holding steady with the House and the Senate, not losing ground.
New Survey Reveals Lack of Trustworthy Information as a Major Problem for Down-Ballot Voters
And conservatives of course, and Christians should also be concerned who we elect in all offices on the federal and the state level. And, and there is a really interesting new survey and this data that just came out from I Voter guide alongside of Dr. George Barna. And this new research reveals a major problem in American elections. So 85% of Americans vote at the top of the ballot, but only about 55% continue voting down ballot. The number one reason cited was a lack of trustworthy information, expressed by 46% of voters. And so when, this survey asked what would make voters more likely to vote further down the ballot, the top answer was a trusted voter guide with 38% saying that it would make them much more likely to do so. That outperformed polls, endorsements and other common sources that a lot of us, especially in, you know, talk radio, punditry and comments talk about in terms of what actually drives out the vote. So, let's go to Debbie Wath now who is the president of I Voter Guide. And Debbie, I'm so grateful that you joined the show this morning because, this is really fascinating research and I think especially because, you know, President Trump's endorsement, obviously Republicans, tend to point to that as, you know, kind of a number one source. I think in primaries when we're talking about, voting at the top of the ballot for the general. And and then you know, of course, ah, Trump and everybody cites polls, this information about why people may not vote down the ballot for things like local races, school boards, judges, you know, those kinds of things, those are just as important as the, you know, kind of top level Fox News trending, you know, statewide and federal elections. And so what is all of this data?
Debbie Wuthnow: Tell you what, it tells me that, voters don't. They realize that the races down the ballot are important, but they don't have the information to vote for them. in the last 10, 15 years media has really, as, you know, the Internet taking off.
The Decline of Local News and the Confusing Nature of Ballot Issues and Non-Partisan Races
We've lost a local focus and we've gained this national focus. All of the, you know, talk radio is on national issues and what's going on in D.C. and what's going on in, the Senate and the Congress and the president's race. And people forget about local news where we used to know what's going on. But those are the races that impact your family, your community, your pocketbook more directly than those federal races. But people are getting even less news about local. We're just flooded with information about national. So this was a, really exciting study for us to do. I love what George Barna does that he looks at not just voting behavior, but, you know, biblical worldview that's going on in America. So we looked at that intersectionality. But this down ballot information was something new. His surveys had always been about, you know, why don't you vote for president? Why aren't you voting for Senate? What are you missing? He'd know. He'd never asked people, do you vote down ballot? And if, so why not? And it really revealed, which it seems intuitive to me, I don't know about. For you, I don't have information about my local candidates. That would be why I'd fill it blank. I don't want to pick the wrong guy, and if I don't know who to pick, I'm just going to skip it. And that's what the research told us, is that 35% of voters will skip races further down the ballot. And those are really important races. So, this lack of information is an opportunity really for ivoterguide, as we step into cover, provide more of that for voters.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, just in my own experience from, from friends and family, you know, coming, saying, oh, do you know, you know who I should vote for in this race? Whether it's the primary, the general or ballot issues, of course, I mean, a lot of those language, that language can be very confusing for voters. And sometimes I think it's, it's intentionally geared that way, you know, and there are a lot of legal fights around that. But then even some of the local races that don't have a party attached, they're just names, you know, things like, you know, some of the local, even mayoral races or city council, ah, races sometimes can be, cannot, be party specific. And so for people who just expect to go and, you know, maybe vote R or vote D down the ballot because of party affiliation, those races, they can Become more confused. So what's what are the best resources to provide that education so that for the people who are already turning out, they'll fill out the entire ballot?
iVoterGuide's Commitment to Providing Non-Biased, Factual Candidate Information and Research
Debbie Wuthnow: Well, it's getting, it's where do they go for the information? What are they looking for? So I Voter guide is stepping into that, into that space and providing information. What the research also told us is what the voters are looking for is is there a party affiliation of that candidate? Because that gives you at least a glimpse if they're a D or an R. But if not, then what are their key positions on issues? what are the statements of the things that they're going to do? And that's all the type of information that IvyerGuide is gathering about these candidates. IvyerGuide goes even further in rating candidates that are on the ballot. So even if they have a D or an R, they're not all cut for the same cloth. you know, we will find Republican primaries where candidates really fall in the liberal range based on what they're doing and vice versa. We'll find, you know, that on the Democratic side and the general elections, it's all across the board. So I Voter guides deep dive of research that is not, from a party. That's the other thing we found is they want non biased, nonpartisan information and research. There's Republican voter guides and there's, you know, Democratic voter guides. You can hear what the candidates say, but you know, they don't trust the media. Voters don't trust the media. They know everything is spun and there's elements of truth, but really it's the full truth. So I Voter guide's core value is to, is to find and expose the objective truth about each of the candidates and give that to the voters so that they can trust it. That's the key word in this, a trusted voter guide that gives them information that they know they can, that they feel equipped to go and vote accurately and be good stewards of their citizenship.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah.
How iVoterGuide Informs Voters Across the Political Spectrum with Factual Data and Research
And so with, you know, with this not being partisan, I mean that raises the question if you have two very, diametrically opposed, worldview voters, you know, you have someone who on all the social issues, economics, you know, family, policy, all of that, votes and wants policy and candidates who are conservative and then you have someone totally at the opposite end of the political spectrum who's very progressive, leftist. Would something like I voter guide inform both of those types of voters equally?
Debbie Wuthnow: It does, actually. It's just as useful to the left and the right, because it's just factual, trustworthy information. it's presented from both perspectives. We do only cover the Republican primary elections. So we're. Because, you know, we're a Christian ministry and that's where we get the biggest bang for being, you know, good stewards of the, the supporters that we have of I Voter guide. But from a voter's perspective, it. The information is nonpartisan. It is the full spectrum of all the candidates that are in the. Any race we cover. We cover all the candidates that are running. And data, points from both the left and the campaign finance data of organizations on the left and the right, scorecards from groups on the left and the right endorsements, Same thing. So it's not just a list of who to vote for. It's a tool to help, you know, all the data about the candidates on your ballot so you can decide for yourself no matter where you land on the political spectrum.
Jenna Ellis: See, and I think that that is so key in trust because if you are, as a voter guide, interpreting the data and giving a bias and saying so based on the available information, this is how we rank the candidates, for example, then, you know, that's inserting that kind of analysis that, you know, somebody, like, like I would do, in terms of my own personal endorsements or you know, my commentary, I would say, okay, based on the worldview, you know, here's, here's where the candidates stand. But to just have the data available, there are so few resources anymore that just simply provide the data and the facts and say, listen, this is where the candidates stand. Now you can debate and argue, you know, amongst yourselves or as voters, who the best possible candidate or the best position on ballot issues is. But we want to provide you with the best and most accurate data.
Research Findings on Voter Turnout and the Importance of Primary Elections
And I think, a lot of that has been lost in elections so much that that's why, this type of finding in terms of the data from the research, study is so accurate because people don't trust the ads, they don't trust the information. They certainly don't trust the news. I mean, even conservatives who don't necessarily trust the Trump endorsement, because that may not necessarily give them the fullest picture of the most conservative candidate or someone that aligns with their values. And so, with this study, Debbie, did you find that, this, this 85% of likely voters that turn out for the top of the ballot and only 55, you know, all the way down, is that, taking into account turnout of both the primary and the general elections.
Debbie Wuthnow: so the survey. George might answer that better. The survey was of 2,000 likely voters. So people that, you know, say they're likely vote. And even if those likely to vote, it was just, He wasn't asking about a specific. Maybe he was asking about the November election. so it's. It's. Are they likely to vote in the. In the upcoming election? Which would be the general. I think, is what he asked. I'll have to confirm.
Jenna Ellis: Okay. Okay. Yeah. And that's, Because that. That's an interesting, you know, part as well, because, the primaries are so incredibly important because even if it's, an open or a closed primary, you know, a lot of voters, you know, and I don't necessarily have a study to back this up. This is just in view of, the.
iVoterGuide's Personalized Voter Guides and Clarity on Ballot Initiatives and Local Races
The data that I've seen. and some of the polls and everything is that you have the really engaged voters who turn out in the primaries because they back specific candidates, over others. But there are. There are a lot of people who think, well, as, you know, as long as there is a Republican, the quality is just as good of any Republican, you know, versus any Democrat. And so they're not necessarily choosing to engage the primaries. I was so surprised, even here in my home state of Florida, the weekend, our primary, in August, you know, on that Tuesday, I had so many text messages from friends who are like, oh, is our primary coming up this week? I mean, I think I need to pay attention. Like, who are you.
Debbie Wuthnow: Who.
Jenna Ellis: Who are you voting for? And I thought, okay, so for somebody who doesn't, A voter who doesn't necessarily have a resource like me as a personal friend, where are they going for this information and how are they being informed?
Debbie Wuthnow: I. Well, some people are going to their friends, they're going to social media. I suggest Everybody go to ivoterguy.com and enter your voting address and get your. We create a personalized voter guide for every address in America. So no matter if you're in Texas or Florida or Washington state or NewSong York, whatever races we're covering will show you just the candidates and races that are on your ballot. And as far down as we go, we cover the judges that are at the Supreme Court level in the state. We cover the statewide races in almost every state. We cover state legislative races in 32 states. We cover the ballot measures that are on those social issues. So as you said, that are, you know, worded so confusingly. We give some clarity of, you know, the ballot may say this, but this is what a yes means, this is what a no means. And we even look at the money and the endorsements behind both sides of that and let you know, a yes is a conservative vote or a no is a conservative vote so that you can vote with clarity. I mean, it seems like lawyers wrote those things because it's so confusing, but I voted your first resource. I know you are, but it's.
Expanding Coverage to Down-Ballot Races and the Critical Need for Information on School Board Elections
But as an engineer, you get into the ballot box and you go, I don't know what this really means. And they word it to, We know it's deceptive in ways. And our goal is information and clarity. So go to ivoterguide.com you can also check out your sample ballot. We don't cover all the races down ballot yet. It is my prayer in the direction ivoterguide is moving in. And as this research says, that's where it's needed, the research in the down ballot races. So we're only covering school board races in about a dozen states this November. We'll be doing more and hopefully growing that in the future because that's where the information is needed in these especially non partisan local school board races.
The Crucial Role of Local and Non-Partisan Races in Shaping America's Future and Informing Voters
And that's the future of America is our children. What are we teaching them and who are we giving the authority to determine their curriculum?
Jenna Ellis: Yeah, and I am really grateful, that you and Dr. Barna have done this study because that really is where clearly the information is needed the most. And I think that with all of the attention on obviously, you know, presidential elections, gubernatorial elections, you know, some of the ones that are covered the most prominently in media, people tend to have at least enough information, you know, for that top of the ticket or they feel that they do to make a confident choice. But it's really, you know, the rest of the ballot that these aren't the names that are getting out in media. These aren't the campaigns, that you know, are all out on doing the media splash and can even have paid advertisements or you know, kind of any information. So sometimes when voters encounter a ballot, it's like the first time that they're even aware that, that some of these issues or some of these candidates, are on the ballot. And if there's no indication even of party affiliation on the ballot for these nonpartisan races, they're kind of stuck. So it's, it's no wonder that they say, well, you know what, I don't want to make a wrong decision, so I'm just going to skip over it and abstained as more of the, you know, conservative choice, you know, whether, you know, wherever they are on the political spectrum. And so, so what, what's the.
iVoterGuide's Evolution and Strategic Plan to Cover More Down-Ballot Races Nationwide
Maybe the, you know, the five or the ten year plan for ivoterguide to capture some of that data and be the resource for those kind of races, you know, across the country?
Debbie Wuthnow: You know, I've always suspected that this was true. It feels, it's so exciting to have finally done the study with George. But when I voter guide began, it was a gentleman in Texas who realized he was a political lobbyist and knew the state legislators, but he'd never voted an intelligent ballot from the top to the bottom. So we began by covering in a complete ballot all the way down to the local offices, he said, down to just as a peace and dog catcher. Right. So, but when I voter guide went nationwide in 2012, when we work with AF, which is when we started to work with AFA, we couldn't go as far down the ballot. Right. You picture this big pyramid. And so we started to cover all the federal races, statewide races in a few states, and then, we've been slowly working our way back towards the more complete ballot. Honestly, this, this study shows me that our research isn't really needed at the federal level as much as it is at the statewide level and at the local level. So it will be something we will prayerfully be looking at in our strategic plan as we move forward. it comes down to resources. We, we certainly have the, we have the methodology, we have the process. we need the funding and the bandwidth to be able to expand this.
How to Support iVoterGuide's Mission to Protect Children and Inform Voters Through Donations
And I think it would be a direction that God would want us to go to protect our children and what's going on in this in our schools.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah. And so if people who are listening, you know, maybe want to be a part of helping fund this and say, you know, even specifically say I want to give in order to, you know, maybe fund for this particular, you know, aspect of my state or, just give to be able to reach some of those target areas. How would people do that?
Debbie Wuthnow: Well, you can [email protected] we are a 501c4 organization, but your support is essential in what we do.
Accessing General Election Voter Guides and Understanding Ballot Initiatives Through iVoterGuide
If you need to give on a C3 side, you can give to AFA and tell, them you want it to go towards ivoterguide research and they will make that happen. So it comes down to those resources. [email protected] [email protected] yeah, that's absolutely amazing.
Jenna Ellis: And Debbie, I so Appreciate this as well. And you know, for people who are looking at the upcoming midterms and they're looking at, you know, wanting to be more informed on their ballot, you know, obviously going to I voter guide.
Creating Your Voting Plan with iVoterGuide and Supplementing Information with Sample Ballots
And and where can they also go to just see, you know, the language of the, the ballot initiatives and some of that so that they can read through that themselves on their own individual state level before they encounter their ballot.
Debbie Wuthnow: Well, I would initiate, I would obviously ivoterguide.com and I would suggest you get on our email list. And we are in the process right now of evaluating all the candidates in each of the states. I think we've rolled out about a dozen of our general election voter guides. We are doing about a dozen a week as we work towards all 50 that will be out before the election. If you sign up for ivoterguide's email list, which the easiest way is to go to ivoterguide.com There's a red banner at the top where you can download the Barna research and that also signs you up to our email list. And we will let you know when we release your voter guide or when you have an upcoming special election and that information is available. To find out what your complete ballot is going to look like, even the things that ivoter Guide is not covering, I use an Internet search whichever one your favorite is and just type in your county, or your city and say I'm looking for the November 2026 sample ballot. And there will be things there that are either, you know, your municipal utility districts or whatever else is going to be on your ballot. If you started ivoter Guide, they will help you decide on those races where we've done the research giving you more time to vote wisely on the rest of the races on your ballot.
The Importance for Believers to Vote Informed and Utilize iVoterGuide as a Tool for Stewardship
but it's just really important for every believer to get out and vote and to vote informed. And using ivoterguide as a tool is, I think, one way that God has equipped the church to be a better steward, a better stewards of our talents.
Jenna Ellis: Absolutely. And you know, when you hear both the left and the right say plan your vote, you know, make, make an election plan. This is part of this. And you know, right now we're just kind of mid September. You have time. And so before you know, you get that ballot in the mail or you reach the ballot box, this is an opportunity to [email protected] and and you can read the national study at I voter died. I voterguide.com barna-report that's all on there. But, to start your plan, go to ivoterguide.com look at the, information that they do provide, and then you can do that sample ballot, as, ah, Debbie mentioned, to supplement, the information and kind of fill in those gaps where I Voter Guide doesn't yet, have the information, but then that's like a more complete resource so that you can feel more confident voting all the way through your ballot.
Supporting iVoterGuide's Mission to Help Voters Make Informed Decisions for the Glory of God
And absolutely, as stewards of our great inheritance in this country and our responsibility and I believe a duty to vote, we need to be educated on everything, every opportunity that we have to choose the best candidate and, the best selection on those voter issues to make sure that we are utilizing that opportunity, for the glory of God and in the best way possible. So, and again, if you want to help fund I Voter Guidelines, which is a division of AFA Action, you can either give directly ivoterguide or also, to AFA and just tell them you want that to go to I Voter Guide Research. So, Debbie, I so appreciate it. Thank you so much for the work that you do and, anything else that you want to add that we didn't yet, get to cover.
Debbie Wuthnow: honestly, I would just say pray for this election.
A Call to Prayer and Engagement for the Upcoming Election and the Direction of Our Country
We need the church to wake up. We need people to not be disengaged, to not be discouraged, to not think my vote's not going to help. Look at the direction our country's going. If you want it to go in your direction, well, basically the godly don't speak up. The ungodly will speak for them.
The Importance of Prayer for Leaders and Gratitude for Efforts to Inform Voters
So get out there and vote, but pray for our leaders. Thank you, Jenna, for all that you do in raising awareness and informing voters and the population about, you know, all the issues that are going on. I just. This is a team effort and we all need to do our part. And your part is, at a minimum to pray and to vote.
Appreciation for Debbie Wath's Work and a Look Ahead to Next Week's Program
Jenna Ellis: Amen to that. Well, Debbie, thank you so much. She's the president of I Voter Guide, a vice president of the American Family association, AFA Action, and a member of our board. So, Debbie, thank you so much for the work that you do and, as always, here on demand. If you have, issues that you are concerned about that you'd like us to address on the program or guests that you'd love to hear from, you can always reach me and my team, Jenna, Fr. Dot and I will see you next week on demand.
Introduction to the AFR Exclusive Podcast and the Importance of Voting in Upcoming Midterm Elections
Jenna Ellis: Foreign. This is our AFR exclusive podcast where we do a deep dive into topics that you need to hear about from guests that you love to hear from. And today's show I think is very timely. Ahead of the midterms and discussing all things voting and of course turning out the vote. President Trump last week at the GOP midterm convention, which is the first of its kind, a monumental, said, pretend that I'm on the ballot, you know, make sure that you turn out. And of course is very concerned about Republicans holding steady with the House and the Senate, not losing ground.
New Survey Reveals Lack of Trustworthy Information as a Major Problem for Down-Ballot Voters
And conservatives of course, and Christians should also be concerned who we elect in all offices on the federal and the state level. And, and there is a really interesting new survey and this data that just came out from I Voter guide alongside of Dr. George Barna. And this new research reveals a major problem in American elections. So 85% of Americans vote at the top of the ballot, but only about 55% continue voting down ballot. The number one reason cited was a lack of trustworthy information, expressed by 46% of voters. And so when, this survey asked what would make voters more likely to vote further down the ballot, the top answer was a trusted voter guide with 38% saying that it would make them much more likely to do so. That outperformed polls, endorsements and other common sources that a lot of us, especially in, you know, talk radio, punditry and comments talk about in terms of what actually drives out the vote. So, let's go to Debbie Wath now who is the president of I Voter Guide. And Debbie, I'm so grateful that you joined the show this morning because, this is really fascinating research and I think especially because, you know, President Trump's endorsement, obviously Republicans, tend to point to that as, you know, kind of a number one source. I think in primaries when we're talking about, voting at the top of the ballot for the general. And and then you know, of course, ah, Trump and everybody cites polls, this information about why people may not vote down the ballot for things like local races, school boards, judges, you know, those kinds of things, those are just as important as the, you know, kind of top level Fox News trending, you know, statewide and federal elections. And so what is all of this data?
Debbie Wuthnow: Tell you what, it tells me that, voters don't. They realize that the races down the ballot are important, but they don't have the information to vote for them. in the last 10, 15 years media has really, as, you know, the Internet taking off.
The Decline of Local News and the Confusing Nature of Ballot Issues and Non-Partisan Races
We've lost a local focus and we've gained this national focus. All of the, you know, talk radio is on national issues and what's going on in D.C. and what's going on in, the Senate and the Congress and the president's race. And people forget about local news where we used to know what's going on. But those are the races that impact your family, your community, your pocketbook more directly than those federal races. But people are getting even less news about local. We're just flooded with information about national. So this was a, really exciting study for us to do. I love what George Barna does that he looks at not just voting behavior, but, you know, biblical worldview that's going on in America. So we looked at that intersectionality. But this down ballot information was something new. His surveys had always been about, you know, why don't you vote for president? Why aren't you voting for Senate? What are you missing? He'd know. He'd never asked people, do you vote down ballot? And if, so why not? And it really revealed, which it seems intuitive to me, I don't know about. For you, I don't have information about my local candidates. That would be why I'd fill it blank. I don't want to pick the wrong guy, and if I don't know who to pick, I'm just going to skip it. And that's what the research told us, is that 35% of voters will skip races further down the ballot. And those are really important races. So, this lack of information is an opportunity really for ivoterguide, as we step into cover, provide more of that for voters.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, just in my own experience from, from friends and family, you know, coming, saying, oh, do you know, you know who I should vote for in this race? Whether it's the primary, the general or ballot issues, of course, I mean, a lot of those language, that language can be very confusing for voters. And sometimes I think it's, it's intentionally geared that way, you know, and there are a lot of legal fights around that. But then even some of the local races that don't have a party attached, they're just names, you know, things like, you know, some of the local, even mayoral races or city council, ah, races sometimes can be, cannot, be party specific. And so for people who just expect to go and, you know, maybe vote R or vote D down the ballot because of party affiliation, those races, they can Become more confused. So what's what are the best resources to provide that education so that for the people who are already turning out, they'll fill out the entire ballot?
iVoterGuide's Commitment to Providing Non-Biased, Factual Candidate Information and Research
Debbie Wuthnow: Well, it's getting, it's where do they go for the information? What are they looking for? So I Voter guide is stepping into that, into that space and providing information. What the research also told us is what the voters are looking for is is there a party affiliation of that candidate? Because that gives you at least a glimpse if they're a D or an R. But if not, then what are their key positions on issues? what are the statements of the things that they're going to do? And that's all the type of information that IvyerGuide is gathering about these candidates. IvyerGuide goes even further in rating candidates that are on the ballot. So even if they have a D or an R, they're not all cut for the same cloth. you know, we will find Republican primaries where candidates really fall in the liberal range based on what they're doing and vice versa. We'll find, you know, that on the Democratic side and the general elections, it's all across the board. So I Voter guides deep dive of research that is not, from a party. That's the other thing we found is they want non biased, nonpartisan information and research. There's Republican voter guides and there's, you know, Democratic voter guides. You can hear what the candidates say, but you know, they don't trust the media. Voters don't trust the media. They know everything is spun and there's elements of truth, but really it's the full truth. So I Voter guide's core value is to, is to find and expose the objective truth about each of the candidates and give that to the voters so that they can trust it. That's the key word in this, a trusted voter guide that gives them information that they know they can, that they feel equipped to go and vote accurately and be good stewards of their citizenship.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah.
How iVoterGuide Informs Voters Across the Political Spectrum with Factual Data and Research
And so with, you know, with this not being partisan, I mean that raises the question if you have two very, diametrically opposed, worldview voters, you know, you have someone who on all the social issues, economics, you know, family, policy, all of that, votes and wants policy and candidates who are conservative and then you have someone totally at the opposite end of the political spectrum who's very progressive, leftist. Would something like I voter guide inform both of those types of voters equally?
Debbie Wuthnow: It does, actually. It's just as useful to the left and the right, because it's just factual, trustworthy information. it's presented from both perspectives. We do only cover the Republican primary elections. So we're. Because, you know, we're a Christian ministry and that's where we get the biggest bang for being, you know, good stewards of the, the supporters that we have of I Voter guide. But from a voter's perspective, it. The information is nonpartisan. It is the full spectrum of all the candidates that are in the. Any race we cover. We cover all the candidates that are running. And data, points from both the left and the campaign finance data of organizations on the left and the right, scorecards from groups on the left and the right endorsements, Same thing. So it's not just a list of who to vote for. It's a tool to help, you know, all the data about the candidates on your ballot so you can decide for yourself no matter where you land on the political spectrum.
Jenna Ellis: See, and I think that that is so key in trust because if you are, as a voter guide, interpreting the data and giving a bias and saying so based on the available information, this is how we rank the candidates, for example, then, you know, that's inserting that kind of analysis that, you know, somebody, like, like I would do, in terms of my own personal endorsements or you know, my commentary, I would say, okay, based on the worldview, you know, here's, here's where the candidates stand. But to just have the data available, there are so few resources anymore that just simply provide the data and the facts and say, listen, this is where the candidates stand. Now you can debate and argue, you know, amongst yourselves or as voters, who the best possible candidate or the best position on ballot issues is. But we want to provide you with the best and most accurate data.
Research Findings on Voter Turnout and the Importance of Primary Elections
And I think, a lot of that has been lost in elections so much that that's why, this type of finding in terms of the data from the research, study is so accurate because people don't trust the ads, they don't trust the information. They certainly don't trust the news. I mean, even conservatives who don't necessarily trust the Trump endorsement, because that may not necessarily give them the fullest picture of the most conservative candidate or someone that aligns with their values. And so, with this study, Debbie, did you find that, this, this 85% of likely voters that turn out for the top of the ballot and only 55, you know, all the way down, is that, taking into account turnout of both the primary and the general elections.
Debbie Wuthnow: so the survey. George might answer that better. The survey was of 2,000 likely voters. So people that, you know, say they're likely vote. And even if those likely to vote, it was just, He wasn't asking about a specific. Maybe he was asking about the November election. so it's. It's. Are they likely to vote in the. In the upcoming election? Which would be the general. I think, is what he asked. I'll have to confirm.
Jenna Ellis: Okay. Okay. Yeah. And that's, Because that. That's an interesting, you know, part as well, because, the primaries are so incredibly important because even if it's, an open or a closed primary, you know, a lot of voters, you know, and I don't necessarily have a study to back this up. This is just in view of, the.
iVoterGuide's Personalized Voter Guides and Clarity on Ballot Initiatives and Local Races
The data that I've seen. and some of the polls and everything is that you have the really engaged voters who turn out in the primaries because they back specific candidates, over others. But there are. There are a lot of people who think, well, as, you know, as long as there is a Republican, the quality is just as good of any Republican, you know, versus any Democrat. And so they're not necessarily choosing to engage the primaries. I was so surprised, even here in my home state of Florida, the weekend, our primary, in August, you know, on that Tuesday, I had so many text messages from friends who are like, oh, is our primary coming up this week? I mean, I think I need to pay attention. Like, who are you.
Debbie Wuthnow: Who.
Jenna Ellis: Who are you voting for? And I thought, okay, so for somebody who doesn't, A voter who doesn't necessarily have a resource like me as a personal friend, where are they going for this information and how are they being informed?
Debbie Wuthnow: I. Well, some people are going to their friends, they're going to social media. I suggest Everybody go to ivoterguy.com and enter your voting address and get your. We create a personalized voter guide for every address in America. So no matter if you're in Texas or Florida or Washington state or NewSong York, whatever races we're covering will show you just the candidates and races that are on your ballot. And as far down as we go, we cover the judges that are at the Supreme Court level in the state. We cover the statewide races in almost every state. We cover state legislative races in 32 states. We cover the ballot measures that are on those social issues. So as you said, that are, you know, worded so confusingly. We give some clarity of, you know, the ballot may say this, but this is what a yes means, this is what a no means. And we even look at the money and the endorsements behind both sides of that and let you know, a yes is a conservative vote or a no is a conservative vote so that you can vote with clarity. I mean, it seems like lawyers wrote those things because it's so confusing, but I voted your first resource. I know you are, but it's.
Expanding Coverage to Down-Ballot Races and the Critical Need for Information on School Board Elections
But as an engineer, you get into the ballot box and you go, I don't know what this really means. And they word it to, We know it's deceptive in ways. And our goal is information and clarity. So go to ivoterguide.com you can also check out your sample ballot. We don't cover all the races down ballot yet. It is my prayer in the direction ivoterguide is moving in. And as this research says, that's where it's needed, the research in the down ballot races. So we're only covering school board races in about a dozen states this November. We'll be doing more and hopefully growing that in the future because that's where the information is needed in these especially non partisan local school board races.
The Crucial Role of Local and Non-Partisan Races in Shaping America's Future and Informing Voters
And that's the future of America is our children. What are we teaching them and who are we giving the authority to determine their curriculum?
Jenna Ellis: Yeah, and I am really grateful, that you and Dr. Barna have done this study because that really is where clearly the information is needed the most. And I think that with all of the attention on obviously, you know, presidential elections, gubernatorial elections, you know, some of the ones that are covered the most prominently in media, people tend to have at least enough information, you know, for that top of the ticket or they feel that they do to make a confident choice. But it's really, you know, the rest of the ballot that these aren't the names that are getting out in media. These aren't the campaigns, that you know, are all out on doing the media splash and can even have paid advertisements or you know, kind of any information. So sometimes when voters encounter a ballot, it's like the first time that they're even aware that, that some of these issues or some of these candidates, are on the ballot. And if there's no indication even of party affiliation on the ballot for these nonpartisan races, they're kind of stuck. So it's, it's no wonder that they say, well, you know what, I don't want to make a wrong decision, so I'm just going to skip over it and abstained as more of the, you know, conservative choice, you know, whether, you know, wherever they are on the political spectrum. And so, so what, what's the.
iVoterGuide's Evolution and Strategic Plan to Cover More Down-Ballot Races Nationwide
Maybe the, you know, the five or the ten year plan for ivoterguide to capture some of that data and be the resource for those kind of races, you know, across the country?
Debbie Wuthnow: You know, I've always suspected that this was true. It feels, it's so exciting to have finally done the study with George. But when I voter guide began, it was a gentleman in Texas who realized he was a political lobbyist and knew the state legislators, but he'd never voted an intelligent ballot from the top to the bottom. So we began by covering in a complete ballot all the way down to the local offices, he said, down to just as a peace and dog catcher. Right. So, but when I voter guide went nationwide in 2012, when we work with AF, which is when we started to work with AFA, we couldn't go as far down the ballot. Right. You picture this big pyramid. And so we started to cover all the federal races, statewide races in a few states, and then, we've been slowly working our way back towards the more complete ballot. Honestly, this, this study shows me that our research isn't really needed at the federal level as much as it is at the statewide level and at the local level. So it will be something we will prayerfully be looking at in our strategic plan as we move forward. it comes down to resources. We, we certainly have the, we have the methodology, we have the process. we need the funding and the bandwidth to be able to expand this.
How to Support iVoterGuide's Mission to Protect Children and Inform Voters Through Donations
And I think it would be a direction that God would want us to go to protect our children and what's going on in this in our schools.
Jenna Ellis: Yeah. And so if people who are listening, you know, maybe want to be a part of helping fund this and say, you know, even specifically say I want to give in order to, you know, maybe fund for this particular, you know, aspect of my state or, just give to be able to reach some of those target areas. How would people do that?
Debbie Wuthnow: Well, you can [email protected] we are a 501c4 organization, but your support is essential in what we do.
Accessing General Election Voter Guides and Understanding Ballot Initiatives Through iVoterGuide
If you need to give on a C3 side, you can give to AFA and tell, them you want it to go towards ivoterguide research and they will make that happen. So it comes down to those resources. [email protected] [email protected] yeah, that's absolutely amazing.
Jenna Ellis: And Debbie, I so Appreciate this as well. And you know, for people who are looking at the upcoming midterms and they're looking at, you know, wanting to be more informed on their ballot, you know, obviously going to I voter guide.
Creating Your Voting Plan with iVoterGuide and Supplementing Information with Sample Ballots
And and where can they also go to just see, you know, the language of the, the ballot initiatives and some of that so that they can read through that themselves on their own individual state level before they encounter their ballot.
Debbie Wuthnow: Well, I would initiate, I would obviously ivoterguide.com and I would suggest you get on our email list. And we are in the process right now of evaluating all the candidates in each of the states. I think we've rolled out about a dozen of our general election voter guides. We are doing about a dozen a week as we work towards all 50 that will be out before the election. If you sign up for ivoterguide's email list, which the easiest way is to go to ivoterguide.com There's a red banner at the top where you can download the Barna research and that also signs you up to our email list. And we will let you know when we release your voter guide or when you have an upcoming special election and that information is available. To find out what your complete ballot is going to look like, even the things that ivoter Guide is not covering, I use an Internet search whichever one your favorite is and just type in your county, or your city and say I'm looking for the November 2026 sample ballot. And there will be things there that are either, you know, your municipal utility districts or whatever else is going to be on your ballot. If you started ivoter Guide, they will help you decide on those races where we've done the research giving you more time to vote wisely on the rest of the races on your ballot.
The Importance for Believers to Vote Informed and Utilize iVoterGuide as a Tool for Stewardship
but it's just really important for every believer to get out and vote and to vote informed. And using ivoterguide as a tool is, I think, one way that God has equipped the church to be a better steward, a better stewards of our talents.
Jenna Ellis: Absolutely. And you know, when you hear both the left and the right say plan your vote, you know, make, make an election plan. This is part of this. And you know, right now we're just kind of mid September. You have time. And so before you know, you get that ballot in the mail or you reach the ballot box, this is an opportunity to [email protected] and and you can read the national study at I voter died. I voterguide.com barna-report that's all on there. But, to start your plan, go to ivoterguide.com look at the, information that they do provide, and then you can do that sample ballot, as, ah, Debbie mentioned, to supplement, the information and kind of fill in those gaps where I Voter Guide doesn't yet, have the information, but then that's like a more complete resource so that you can feel more confident voting all the way through your ballot.
Supporting iVoterGuide's Mission to Help Voters Make Informed Decisions for the Glory of God
And absolutely, as stewards of our great inheritance in this country and our responsibility and I believe a duty to vote, we need to be educated on everything, every opportunity that we have to choose the best candidate and, the best selection on those voter issues to make sure that we are utilizing that opportunity, for the glory of God and in the best way possible. So, and again, if you want to help fund I Voter Guidelines, which is a division of AFA Action, you can either give directly ivoterguide or also, to AFA and just tell them you want that to go to I Voter Guide Research. So, Debbie, I so appreciate it. Thank you so much for the work that you do and, anything else that you want to add that we didn't yet, get to cover.
Debbie Wuthnow: honestly, I would just say pray for this election.
A Call to Prayer and Engagement for the Upcoming Election and the Direction of Our Country
We need the church to wake up. We need people to not be disengaged, to not be discouraged, to not think my vote's not going to help. Look at the direction our country's going. If you want it to go in your direction, well, basically the godly don't speak up. The ungodly will speak for them.
The Importance of Prayer for Leaders and Gratitude for Efforts to Inform Voters
So get out there and vote, but pray for our leaders. Thank you, Jenna, for all that you do in raising awareness and informing voters and the population about, you know, all the issues that are going on. I just. This is a team effort and we all need to do our part. And your part is, at a minimum to pray and to vote.
Appreciation for Debbie Wath's Work and a Look Ahead to Next Week's Program
Jenna Ellis: Amen to that. Well, Debbie, thank you so much. She's the president of I Voter Guide, a vice president of the American Family association, AFA Action, and a member of our board. So, Debbie, thank you so much for the work that you do and, as always, here on demand. If you have, issues that you are concerned about that you'd like us to address on the program or guests that you'd love to hear from, you can always reach me and my team, Jenna, Fr. Dot and I will see you next week on demand.
Jenna tackles the critical issue of voter turnout and the importance of down-ballot voting with Debbie Wuthnow, president of I Voter Guide. As the midterm elections approach, we discuss recent research revealing that while 85% of Americans vote at the top of the ballot, only 55% continue down the ballot due to a lack of trustworthy information. Debbie shares insights on how I Voter Guide is stepping in to provide essential data on candidates and issues, ensuring voters can make informed choices.
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