Yes, No, or No Idea? How Ballot Wording Influences Voter Choice

Political Communication 

Politicians and pundits both know that emotions play a huge role in voter behavior. But what happens when ballot items aren’t about a hot-button issue or charismatic candidate?

How the voter feels about reading their ballot affects how they choose, according to new research University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Advertising Assistant Professor Olivia Bullock and colleagues.

In many instances of direct democracy, voters must choose “yes” or “no” on anything from charter changes to homestead exemptions. These ballot items typically don’t receive as much press as elected officials. Often, voters first encounter them when they arrive in the voting booth. The researchers wanted to explore how voters make decisions on these items. Do emotions still play a role as with hot-button issues or partisan candidates?

The research team found that voters lean heavily on their emotions when considering their ballot — whether they’re drawing upon their personal values and biases or simply trying to read what’s in front of them.

The study tested voters’ responses to 40 ballot items from actual statewide elections. All were fairly neutral, with no obvious partisan bias or social/moral theme. None had received significant media coverage, which meant that their specific wording should have a greater influence on how voters perceived them.

The team found that when voters have little information about a ballot item, they refer to their feelings — and that includes how well they understand what they’re reading. Processing fluency affects how people feel about the ballot and therefore their likelihood to support it. When they feel more comfortable, they often attribute this good feeling to the item in question Otherwise, they either oppose or abstain.

The researchers used the percentage of frequently used words as an indicator of fluency. If the words used were familiar to most readers (and not legalese), the ballot item should be easier to understand. Therefore, it should create more positive emotion, which participants would take as information they otherwise lacked.

When voters had little to no information about a ballot item, they use their feelings to guide their decisions. When they don’t understand what they’re being asked, they’re more likely to disapprove — or simply avoid it altogether.

The researchers also measured their study results against the actual outcomes of the ballot items in question. They found close alignment between the measures that passed in the lab and those that passed in real life. Thus, this study indicated that processing fluency is an accurate predictor of whether voters will support a measure.

Ballot items are more likely to garner support when they’re written with commonly used words rather than jargon. The team suggests that this could be the most influential factor when voters lack information.

The original article, “Predicting Vote Choice and Election Outcomes from Ballot Wording: The Role of Processing Fluency in Low Information Direct Democracy Elections,” was published online on June 23, 2022.

Authors: Hilary C. Shulman, Matthew D. Sweitzer, Olivia M. Bullock, Jason C. Coronel, Robert M. Bond, Shannon Poulsen.

This summary was written by Rachel Wayne.

Posted: November 12, 2024
Insights Categories: Political Communication
Tagged as: Ballots, Olivia Bullock, Voting