Effects of Political Advertising on Voters Participation in Elections: A Study of 2019 General Election Participants in Anambra State

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to determine the effect of political advertising media on voters’ participation during election in Anambra State. The specific objectives are to: determine the effect of social media exposure, political rallies, mass media and town crier exposure on voter apathy, cynicism and political efficacy. Using a survey research design, a sample of 400 was selected randomly from the three senatorial districts in Anambra state. Questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data were presented using tables, percentages and frequencies while the study hypotheses were analyzed usim Structural Equation Model in Smart PLS software. Findings from the study show that: Town crier had a significant positive influence on voters’ participation; Political rallies had a significant positive effect on voters’ participation; Social media (Facebook) had a significant positive influence on voters’ participation; Mass media (Billboards) had a significant positive effect on voters’ participation. The study concludes that political campaign advertisement increasingly diversifying, more complex and demanding and its importance in political advertising is increasing. Therefore, the study recommends that: political advertising media such as town crier, political rallies, Facebook, and billboards are reliable tools which can be used by political parties and candidates during electioneering campaigns.