Austin, Feb. 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Builders Movement, a non-partisan nonprofit dedicated to overcoming “us vs. them” thinking and strengthening accountability in our democracy, today launched “Turn Out or Roll Over,” a statewide campaign aimed at increasing voter participation in Texas primary elections leading up to March 3, 2026.
The campaign is rooted in a simple reality: The Texas primary election determines the choices voters have on the November ballot. Yet less than 1 in 5 registered voters (18%) turned out in 2024. By contrast, about 3 in 5 registered Texans participated in the general election just eight months later, a significant difference in turnout between the two election cycles. This campaign seeks to make voting in the Texas primary fun, relevant, and urgent.
“Drawing inspiration from our beloved official small mammal of Texas, the armadillo, ‘rolling over’ is a metaphor for Texans sitting out the primary election,” says Tori Larned, Director of Communications at Builders Movement. “We’re using bold, playful visuals to make it clear: Texans have the power to shape an election determining who will represent their goals and values simply by showing up. We know Texans participate in November. This campaign is about reminding people that March matters just as much.”
The two-week campaign leverages the power of creative, place-based visual storytelling to make the importance of low primary turnout more visible in everyday public spaces. Across the state, Texans will encounter thousands of armadillos chalked onto sidewalks, featured on posters and billboards, and incorporated into a large-scale mural — each pairing the familiar image of “rolling over” with clear, concrete reminders of the role primary elections play in shaping outcomes.
Online, Builders Movement will expand that storytelling through its “Who Is the Masked Armadillo?” social media campaign. In a series of short videos shared to the organization’s more than 4 million followers, a mysterious masked armadillo will “visit” each of the campaign’s murals, posters, and public art installations to build intrigue and reinforce the campaign’s central message. Viewers will be invited to guess the identity of the masked armadillo, leading up to a public reveal of notable Texans who will challenge and inspire Texans to turn out for the primary and not roll over.
The campaign culminates on March 2, Texas Independence Day, with a public celebration and Texas-sized installation outside the South Steps of the State Capitol, creating a striking visual representation of what “rolling over” looks like when voters sit out of the primaries.
Throughout the effort, Texans can access the Builders Texas – March Matters Toolkit, a nonpartisan resource hub that allows voters to check their ballot, confirm their polling location, review ID requirements, and make a plan to vote.
Says Mark Strama, director of the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life at UT Austin, a former state representative and Builders Movement Partner, “We know participating in primaries can feel complicated or easy to overlook. This campaign shines a light on that reality and gives Texans the practical information they need to show up — because in many districts, the decisions that affect your schools, taxes, and local laws are effectively decided in March.”
In recent years, the way primary elections are structured, combined with redistricting dynamics and persistently low turnout, has given outsized influence to the most ideologically motivated voters. As a result, candidates often focus more on appealing to their party’s base than to the broader public. Fear of being challenged in a primary has contributed to a roughly 25% decline in bipartisan lawmaking since the 1980s.
Says Fred Zeidman, chairman emeritus of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, chairman of Woodrock & Co., and Builders Movement Partner, “If the broad majority of Texans are tired of partisan warfare and want to replace it with practical problem-solving that will actually serve them, it’s March 3 that matters.”
Texans can learn more about Builders Movement and the “Turn Out or Roll Over” campaign at builderstx.org.
Contact Info
Tori Larned
[email protected]
+1 646-814-2102
- “Turn Out or Roll Over” Builders Movement GOTV Campaign