Hi Friends,
Election Day is less than three weeks away, which means your inboxes and social media feeds are about to get even louder. This edition has a new poll on what voters fear about AI, a refresher on what nonprofits can and can’t say before November 3, and what we’re learning in Kansas.
Let’s get into it.
VOTERS FEAR WHAT AI COULD DO TO HUMANITY MORE THAN WHAT IT COULD DO TO THEIR JOBS
Jobs are the AI worry everyone talks about. Voters have a bigger one. In the first wave of BG’s new Power Shift Omnibus, a national survey of 1,000 registered voters from Bryson Gillette Insights, 45% say they’re very concerned about AI threatening human existence. Thirty-six percent say the same about their own jobs.
The superintelligence numbers point in the same direction. Fifty-eight percent of voters oppose companies building AI smarter than humans at nearly everything, and 61% believe humans would have little or no control over it if built.
What this means for communicators:
- If your AI messaging leads with jobs, test it against a control-and-safety frame.
- Define superintelligence in plain language when you poll or message on it, the way we did, so you know what voters are reacting to.
The Power Shift Omnibus is a recurring national survey, fielded every other month, that gives organizations a shared platform to add their own questions. The next survey fields Nov. 9. Reach out if you’d like to add a question. See the full findings and question wording at brysongillette.com/powershift.
NONPROFITS CAN STILL SHOW UP IN ELECTION SEASON
Election season doesn’t turn 501(c)(3)s into bystanders. There are strict rules about what they can and can’t do in elections, but they can still help educate voters. They often have the trust of the people they serve and deep knowledge of the issues affecting their communities, and within the rules, they can share nonpartisan voter information and encourage civic participation.
Depending on the facts and circumstances, the IRS says certain nonpartisan voter education activities, including public forums and voter guides, are allowed. So are nonpartisan voter registration and get-out-the-vote drives. Activities that favor or oppose a candidate, directly or indirectly, are prohibited. “Indirectly” is the word to watch.
What this means for communicators:
- Ask one question of every election-related post, email, and graphic: does it support or oppose a candidate for public office? If so, it doesn’t go out.
- Review materials in context. The IRS looks at the facts and circumstances, so a neutral sentence can still cause trouble depending on what surrounds it.
- Get qualified legal counsel to review election-related materials before they publish, not after.
- This covers 501(c)(3)s only. Other types of nonprofits may follow different rules.
WHEN VOTER ATTENTION IS DIVIDED, GO LOCAL.
Kansas is on the map in 2026, and we’re deeply invested in what’s happening there, working alongside candidates, organizations, and allies up and down the ballot.
Earlier this year, we were part of the team that helped protect Kansas’ courts through our work with Kansans United for Impartial Courts. Now we’re applying what we learned with targeted, cross-channel media, and the biggest takeaway so far is that voters’ attention is more divided than ever. You have to meet them where they are, even in unexpected places like Nextdoor, where we’re running ads for a ballot measure in a space where most political ads aren’t allowed.
Our messaging starts with polling. Voters need to know who our candidates are beyond their partisanship, and voter contact has to stay grounded in local Kansas issues. Defining candidates outside of national politics while still carrying momentum could be what breaks the supermajority and flips pivotal seats. It’s shaped every script we’ve written up and down the ballot.
The stakes are clear. We want statewide leaders who protect voting access and the rule of law, broken supermajorities, and lasting Democratic power. We won’t know how voters respond until Election Day, but we believe in the power of the prairie, and we’re proud to be on the front lines.
WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON
Bold Journey: Meet Kaci Patterson
LAist: Dave Grohl headlines Soundstage of Hope gala: 'I just want to give food to people who are hungry'
Paid Media: Backbone Coalition
Anthem Awards: Finalist: Angelique Albert, Native Forward CEO
Anthem Awards: Finalist: Hotcakes & Housing, a Los Angeles mayoral forum with Hope the Mission
Public voting is open through Oct. 29.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
Whether it’s a voter scrolling Nextdoor or a nonprofit deciding what to post this month, the job right now is knowing exactly where you’re standing. If you want a second set of eyes before November 3, give us a ring.
—Shira