#RoeRoeRoeYourVote or Democracy is but a dream.

“Alternative media created by movements is a well-documented strategy, as mass dissemination of activist messaging is crucial to promulgation and base-building efforts.”[i] Author Sara Jackson writes that online activism is effective because of its ability to reach millions within seconds. The 2011 Egyptian uprising exemplified this power when in the week immediately preceding President Mubarak’s resignation, there were as many as 230,000 protest tweets a day.[ii] The topoi, as described by Osario is vote or continue to lose rights. Moreover, the idea that this is a war on women is another theme throughout with hashtags like #IamRoe making the rounds.[iii] But with midterm elections and the Senate in a precarious position for many, activist look to hashtags that can pass the message quickly. #RoeRoeRoeYourVote is a hashtag designed to spur Pro-Choice activists to vote out the politicians responsible for the many anti-abortion laws that have been introduced or passed across the United States. The catchy and memorable reference to Roe v. Wade as a rallying cry for women’s rights has gained traction as we get closer to the November elections. It also seems to be working. The Lincoln Project tweeted that voter registration among women was up by 35% percent this summer.

Twitter and Instagram appear to be the social media platform most effectively using the hashtag game in general. The main reason for this is that both platforms are designed for quick posts with less text and, in Instagram’s case, more images.

[i] Jackson, Sarah J. 2018. Progressive Social Movements and the Internet.” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Communication: 3-20. DOI: 10.1093/acrefore/9780190228613.013.644. [ii] Poell, Thomas & José van Dijck. 2015. “Social Media and Activist Communication.” In The Routledge Companion to Alternative and Community Media, 527-53. [iii] Osorio, Ruth. 2020. I am #ActuallyAutistic, Hear Me Tweet: The Autist-Topoi of Autustuc Activists on Twitter. Enculturation.