Major Pro-Harris Super PAC Airs Intimidating Ads in Predominantly Black Areas, Warns: ‘Your Voting Record Is Public’ Allison Joyce / AFP via Getty

One of the largest super PACs backing Vice President Kamala Harris is targeting large black urban areas in swing-state cities with “creepy,” deceptive, and intimidating ads that ominously warn: your voting history is public and accessible to “friends, family, and neighbors.”

Future Forward, a super PAC supporting the Harris-Waltz ticket, has launched an ad campaign in cities with large black populations, emphasizing that voter records indicating if individuals voted are public and easily accessible to community members.

The ads, which are being aired heavily in major swing-state cities like Atlanta, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia, have raised eyebrows for their intimidating and quasi-official presentation.

One ad opens with a bold “election alert,” declaring in a stern and authoritative voice, “Who you vote for is private, but if you vote is public information.” 

“After this election, your voter record will be updated, and your friends and family will be able to see how often you vote,” it continues, demanding viewers “do your civic duty” by voting.

Behind the text is an emblem reminiscent of an official government seal, which reads “National Voter Report,” giving the appearance of an official advisory.

Another ad explains that while “who you vote for is secret,” but “whether you vote is public information.”

“Your friends, family, and neighbors can look up your voting records,” it warns.

Future Forward PAC’s approach has generated criticism for its intimidating tone toward voters, many who may fear social repercussions for low turnout.

One social media user described it as an “extremely creepy” and “borderline threatening” message.

Another suggested the ads carry a “not-so-veiled threat,” while another described them as conjuring up “dystopian vibes.”

“This insane dystopian ad threatening ‘your friends and family’ will know if you voted or not is somehow very real and being aired by Kamala Harris’s allies across the country,” wrote one social media user.

“We are at the stage of the election where Dems are running ads threatening to name and publicly shame their low-propensity voters,” another stated.

The ad campaign reflects the Democratic Party’s focus on high-stakes swing states where black voter turnout is crucial to their electoral strategy. In 2020, urban Black voter turnout helped secure Biden’s win, but recent polls show slipping support among black men and Hispanic voters. With Trump gaining ground, Future Forward PAC, backed by Silicon Valley donors, unleashed over $700 million to bolster Harris and other Democrats this cycle.

A dark money giant funded by key tech donors including Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz and Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings and secretive nonprofits like the Sixteen Thirty Fund, Future Forward PAC spent over $100 million backing Joe Biden in 2020, ranking as the third largest advertiser of the election. By 2024, the group had raised close to $400 million, with $25 million from its Super PAC and the rest from dark-money sources. 

Future Forward remains central to Democratic efforts, bolstered by significant contributions from left-wing donors, including George Soros, Michael Bloomberg, and a slew of progressive billionaires. As Harris’s main super PAC, it received a $9 million donation from a fund tied to the League of Conservation Voters in August, alongside $3 million from Facebook co-founder Dustin Moskovitz.

The PAC, the biggest spender in the campaign by far, aims to flood airwaves during the last weeks leading up to the election with pro-Harris ads and aggressively push for progressive policies through highly unconventional strategies.

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