Prop W & Prop S
2024 Voter Education Campaign
Overview
In April 2024, voters in the St. Louis region overwhelmingly approved two MSD funding measures: Proposition W and Proposition S. Prop W passed with 80% support, the highest approval rate for an MSD bond issue in recent history. Prop S passed with 57% support, flipping the result of a similar measure that failed just five years earlier. This success was the result of a strategic, multi-year campaign focused on tested messaging, stakeholder activation, and targeted community engagement.
Prop W
Prop S
The Challenge
In 2024, MSD asked voters to decide the future of two very different systems:
One, a well-funded wastewater system, quietly improving every year by replacing aging infrastructure, protecting public health, and reducing overflows.
The other, a stormwater system under stress, with increasing problems like flooding and erosion made worse by climate change and inadequate funding.
Adding to the challenge:
A similar stormwater funding measure had failed in 2019, earning just 47% support
The 2024 ballot would include two separate propositions, requiring a communications approach that was clear, coordinated, and credible across different audiences
Strategy
Starting Early
We began laying the groundwork three years before Election Day, engaging stakeholders, shaping a clear public narrative, and showing up consistently long before we needed a vote.
At the heart of it was “A Tale of Two Systems:”
One system (wastewater) is well-planned, funded, and improving service and the environment.
The other (stormwater) is underfunded, increasingly stressed by climate change, and falling behind.
Research-Backed Messaging
Before we started developing education materials, we invested in listening. Using statistically valid surveys of likely voters, we tested a wide range of messages and refined our communications based on what people actually found clear and compelling.
This allowed us to focus our efforts on the messages voters found most clear while helping us avoid sinking resources into narratives that felt important internally but lacked relevance for our audience. The result was a campaign grounded in what mattered to voters, not assumptions.
Top Message: Prop W
Top Message: Prop S
Equipping Stakeholders to Be Our Voice
We knew that the most powerful messages come from trusted community members, not institutions. So we gave our partners the tools to confidently advocate in their own circles. We:
Proactively reached out to mayors, unions, community groups, neighborhood associations, and civic leaders
Equipped them with information, flyers, videos, and ready-to-use toolkits
This turned our stakeholders into ambassadors, not just allies.
Meeting Voters Where they Are
In the months leading up to the election, we sought out more than 50 community events, from ward meetings and neighborhood associations to town halls, volunteer clubs, and union meetings. These were rooms full of likely voters, influential community members, and trusted peers who could pass along what they learned.
Multi-Channel Media Approach
Our media strategy was designed to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve, combining direct outreach, earned media, and paid placements to meet different audiences where they were.
Direct: Bill inserts and flyers reached every customer by mail
Digital: Social ads, pre-rolls, and streaming platforms targeted likely voters online
Radio: Targeted placements reached audiences less likely to encounter us digitally
Earned media: Amplified our message organically
Managing Misinformation Proactively
When misleading claims surfaced, we took an aggressive, values-based approach to managing misinformation. We responded directly to stakeholders first, equipping them with context so they could carry the message forward.
