DoorDash—DoorDash spent $52.1 million on California Proposition 22 to keep gig workers as independent contractors
DoorDash contributed $52.1 million to the Yes on Proposition 22 campaign in 2020, making it the second-largest corporate funder after Uber. The ballot measure, which passed with 59% of the vote, granted app-based delivery and transportation companies an exemption from Assembly Bill 5 by classifying their drivers as independent contractors rather than employees. The total industry spending on Prop 22 reached $205 million, the most ever spent on a California ballot initiative. The campaign included in-app messaging, billboards, digital and print ads, and pro-Prop 22 delivery bags sent to restaurants.
Scoring Impact
| Topic | Direction | Relevance | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deceptive Lobbying | +toward | secondary | -0.50 |
| Gig Worker Rights | -against | primary | -1.00 |
| Overall incident score = | -0.993 | ||
Score = avg(topic contributions) × significance (critical ×2) × confidence (0.66)
Evidence (2 signals)
Ballotpedia documented DoorDash's $52.1 million contribution to Proposition 22 campaign
Campaign finance records show DoorDash contributed $52.1 million to the Yes on Proposition 22 campaign, the second-largest contribution after Uber's $59.5 million. Total industry spending reached $205.37 million, a California ballot initiative record.
KQED reported DoorDash sent pro-Prop 22 delivery bags and used in-app messaging to influence voters
KQED reported that DoorDash's Prop 22 campaign included in-app messaging to drivers, billboards, digital and print ads, and pro-Prop 22 delivery bags sent to restaurants. DoorDash claimed restaurants requested over 4 million bags with campaign messaging.