Here’s why animals lost in the 2024 US election
The 2024 United States general election was one full of surprises and letdowns for many groups, as most elections are. In the coming weeks and years pundits and social scientists will dominate discussions about the demographic shifts in voters toward Donald Trump during this election, echoing the introspection that came after the 2016 election. However, the vast majority of these articles will overlook one group that lost big in this election: animals.
There were a number of different ballot measures dealing with animal welfare and rights this election cycle. In Denver, Colorado, there were two specific ordinances relating to animal rights. Initiated Ordinance 308 proposed banning the production or sale of animal fur within city limits, while 309 proposed a ban on slaughterhouses within the city. Both ordinances were defeated by a large margin, with 58 percent and 65 percent voting against them respectively.
Meanwhile in Sonoma County, California, Measure J was introduced in an attempt to ban concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). CAFOs, commonly known as ‘factory farms’, typically confine thousands of animals in small, cramped and often unhygienic facilities. This measure didn’t just fail to pass in Sonoma County, it was defeated in a landslide with 85 percent voting against the ban and allowing CAFOs to continue to operate.
The “Ban Slaughterhouses” ordinance was a grassroots effort, with campaigners collecting enough signatures for the issue to be added to the ballot. Credit: Pro Animal Future
Farmed animals weren’t the only ones who faced election losses in Colorado, as wild animals lost as well at the state level. Colorado’s Proposition 127 aimed to make hunting mountain lions, lynx, and bobcats illegal was rejected by voters with 55 percent voting against it. Though the bobcat population in Colorado is healthy, there are less than 4,400 mountain lions and 250 lynx in the entire state according to Colorado Parks & Wildlife. This defeat marks a troubling shift in public voting in Colorado on related wildlife issues: in the past Colorado residents have voted to protect animals, with a ban on leg-hold and instant-kill traps in 1992 and a ban on the use of dogs or bait in black bear hunting in 1996, as well as voting to reintroduce gray wolves to the state in 2020.
In this election, Florida voters also embraced hunting. Amendment 2 enshrined hunting and fishing as public rights in the Florida constitution - and the amendment passed with an overwhelming majority of over 67% voting for it.
Animals weren’t directly on the ballot at the federal level but they played a decisive role in the victory of Donald Trump. As election results were rolling in and it became clear that American voters had rejected Harris in favor of Trump, one explanation was continually brought up to explain this: eggs. Eggs, eggs, eggs. Pundits repeated over and over again how the price of eggs had increased in recent years and that this was a key issue for voters they spoke to. They weren’t the only ones who recognized this. In the months leading up to the election Vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance posed in a grocery store complaining that the price of eggs had risen from $1.50 to $4.00 under the Biden-Harris administration.
Ironically, the price of eggs and animal welfare are directly related, but sometimes in conflicting ways. CAFOs became popular because they made it easier and cheaper to produce animal products like milk, eggs, and meat. However, this efficiency comes at a cost—mainly to the workers on these farms and the animals forced to endure harsh, inhumane conditions. These methods also increase the spread of disease, including the ongoing bird flu epidemic and previous zoonotic disease outbreaks such as the swine flu pandemic of 2009. In the end, the short-term savings on animal products have led to extreme long term costs, including costs to human health and well-being.
Improving and implementing more stringent animal welfare laws will almost always mean increased prices on animal products. Failure to consider animal interests will inevitably come at a cost to humans. However, this most recent election shows that for those facing economic stress, living week to week, this type of long-term perspective becomes difficult to maintain. And for politicians, passing measures that impose short term costs for animal goods could cost them elections. Gaining support for these measures will require drawing attention to the hidden costs of animal production and illustrating the ways in which human and animal well-being are connected. Making legal progress for animals will also require a recognition of economic hardship felt by many voters, which could perhaps be alleviated by increased subsidies on grains, vegetables, and other plant-based foods.
Despite the most recent defeats for animals, there is also a ray of hope out of this recent election cycle - even if mostly symbolic. Measure DD, which bans CAFOs in Berkeley, California, passed with over 59 percent of the vote.
Shifting the election landscape for animals in the future is an uphill battle, but positive change is possible.
Right now, our collective fight for animals is more urgent than ever. From grassroots activism to leading animal protection NGOs, together we can continue to work towards a kinder world for animals. Until every animal is safe from factory farms, laboratories, and hunters, we will always have justice and kindness on our side.
Inspired to take action? A great place to learn about the issues and add your name in support is Species Unite’s Petitions for Animals page.
Written by Michael Briscoe
Michael Briscoe is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Colorado State University Pueblo. He is the author of the upcoming book Stocks or Stakeholders: The Benefits of Considering Animal Interests. His research and teaching focus on the interconnections of human, animal, and environmental well-being.
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