Analyzing Referendum Success in Hoosier Communities

Abstract

In 2019, the Washington Community Schools Corporation in Daviess County, Indiana, proposed a capital improvement referendum that failed by 61.3% percent of votes. This study analyzes social media and local news framing of the referendum. Based upon a literature review of public opinion and voting behavior frameworks, we identify strategies that could increase public support for future referendums. The project, conducted in collaboration with the IU Center for Rural Engagement’s Sustaining Hoosier Communities Initiative, aims to provide relevant recommendations to improve community engagement and enhance the effectiveness of messaging in future referendum campaigns.