On behalf of Vera Action, YouGov Blue fielded three message tests in April and May comparing two messaging frames on crime: a “serious about safety” message that focuses on preventing crime, responding to crisis, and stopping violence, versus a traditional “tough on crime” message focused on policing and jails. The polling results suggest that a “serious about safety” message is most resonant with voters and helps candidates effectively get out of the typical “tough” vs “soft” on crime debate.
- In the first message test, we tested how a candidate who delivers a “serious about safety” message tests with and without partisan labels. The poll found no difference between whether the message was delivered by a Democratic candidate or a nonpartisan candidate, with voters approving a “serious about safety” candidate by 9 points over a “tough on crime” candidate regardless of whether the messages included the candidates’ party affiliations.
- In the second test, we compared two different Democratic messaging styles against a standard Republican message warning that Democrats want to “defund” the police. When facing a GOP attack for being a “defund” candidate or “soft on crime,” a Democratic candidate who responded with a “serious about safety” message performed significantly better than a Democratic candidate who responded with a message accusing the GOP of trying to “defund” law enforcement and side with January 6 insurrectionists.
