MADISON - In an era of dark money and political vitriol, a new group is trying to use color markers and the power of the internet to influence elections here and around the country.
Postcards to Voters has taken its innovative approach into all three of Tuesday's special legislative elections in Wisconsin, sending handwritten cards from activists to thousands of voters in the state.
The unusual tactic has gotten attention from voters, candidates and even a better-funded conservative group that has jumped into the game.
Assembly candidate Greta Neubauer said the group has sent two postcards each to 1,500 voters in her Racine district. Neubauer, a Democrat, said she thinks the colorful, handmade cards grab the attention of voters who are barraged with negative ads and mailboxes full of glossy lit pieces.
"That was really fun to see," Neubauer said of the cards being sent into her district. "The best thing (as a voter) is to have someone at your door but I really think this might be the second best."
Postcards to Voters was founded early last year after the election of President Donald Trump and has grown rapidly since then.
The group's founder, Tony McMullin, said it focuses on low-turnout special elections where it's easier to have an impact. McMullin, who lives in Georgia and works in banking, was volunteering in the special congressional election there between Democrat Jon Ossoff and Republican Karen Handel when he started sending voters' addresses to a handful energized out-of-state Democrats so they could write postcards.
The group's volunteer base exploded and, though Ossoff ended up losing, the group sent 51,000 handmade postcards into that district. Thanks to social media, McMullin said the group now has more than 10,000 volunteers and a texting app that sends the card writers the addresses and positive message that they use to send the cards.
"It started by accident. I didn't have a plan for this," McMullin said in an interview.
McMullin said his group went on to send a postcard to every identified Democrat in Alabama — nearly 348,000 in all — during the special U.S. Senate election that resulted in a surprise win by Democrat Doug Jones.
"It was such an incredible achievement," McMullin said.
The group is hoping for another upset in Wisconsin's 10th Senate District, a GOP-leaning seat where a special election is being held after longtime Sen. Sheila Harsdorf (R-River Falls) stepped down to take a job in Gov. Scott Walker's administration.
In that race, state Rep. Adam Jarchow (R-Balsam Lake) is taking on Democrat Patty Schachtner, the chief medical examiner for St. Croix County.
Well-funded Republican groups are spending significant sums in that race, including Americans for Prosperity, the Wisconsin Alliance for Reform, Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce, the Jobs First Coalition and the Republican State Leadership Committee. The liberal group Greater Wisconsin is also spending money.
Among the slick mailers being sent out by these groups, McMullin hopes his group's handmade postcards stand out.
McMullin's group is also active in the 58th Assembly District, where Republican Rick Gundrum is running against Democrat Dennis Degenhardt.
The group is doing express advocacy — urging the election of a particular candidate — something that often triggers reporting requirements with state elections officials. McMullin said he doesn't believe his group needs to do that because it doesn't spend any money except to buy voter lists from the states they work in — volunteers cover their postage and other costs.
Brian Bell, administrator of the Wisconsin Ethics Commission, said that in general, groups don't need to register with the state for independent expenditures unless it's their main purpose and they're spending more $2,500 doing that. The voter lists for several legislative districts in Wisconsin would cost considerably less than that.
The group's efforts have already drawn the attention of Eric Bott, the head of the Wisconsin chapter for Americans for Prosperity. His group is already spending up to $100,000 for traditional ads and tactics to reach voters in that race.
But after seeing the postcards flowing into that district, Bott also arranged for activists from his group to mail their own handwritten cards.
"I’ve done handwritten notes, especially for (get-out-the-vote efforts) since long before I came to AFP but it’s fair to say that we’re pushing the effort in response to the new group coming into WI in a big way," Bott said. "This is an effective tactic."