Ads Shape Feelings After Vote

Indyapolis. Political attack ads can leave a lasting impression on voters, even when the specific accusations are forgotten. This effect was evident in the recent Indiana secretary of state race, which featured Republican Max Engling and Democrat Beau Bayh. The campaign involved millions of dollars in spending on negative advertising.

Kristina Harrison, a clinical assistant professor of marketing at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, explained that repeated exposure drives this impact. She noted that seeing a message multiple times causes people to believe there may be some truth to it, even if they initially disagreed. “Just keep being exposed to something over and over and over again, even if it’s something that you don’t totally agree with,” Harrison said. “You start to think, well, maybe there’s something true to this.”

Harrison emphasized that voters often remember the emotional response to an ad rather than the factual claims. She cited the concept of moral disgust, which can lead people to judge candidates more harshly. This reaction does not always benefit the candidate running the ads. Sometimes, voters conclude that both options are poor choices.

The effectiveness of these campaigns creates a conflict for voters. “They work, but we also don’t like them either,” Harrison said. “It’s kind of a discrepancy between something that you might not like, the fact we might actually hate the fact, but it might be effective in changing how we vote.”

For undecided voters, repeated accusations can sway their decisions. For those with firm opinions, the ads often reinforce their existing views. The midterm elections in Indiana demonstrated how financial resources and repetition shape voter perception beyond the final vote count.