Voter Information Sources in a Nonpartisan Local Election

Abstract

behavior or political participation of any type is in part a function of political stimuli available to citizen. Those who receive a greater number of stimuli are more likely to participate and to participate actively.' The reception of stimuli is a function of individual's perceptual screen. A number of studies have found that persons who have high exposure to one media generally have high exposure to several different kinds, and this continues throughout a political campaign.2 Those who are high in consumption of non-political stimuli tend to be high in consumption of political stimuli,3 and persons who are interested in politics are more attentive to political stimuli than those who are less interested.4 Individuals who are more exposed to communications media are more likely to be interested in politics, to vote, to have a party preference, to discuss politics, to have opinions on issues congruent with party stands, and to support candidate of their party. Exposure to media and interest in politics are mutually reinforcing, with interest leading to more exposure and increased exposure leading to greater political interest. The mass media perform function in a partisan election of assisting voters in cognitive process of associating party affiliation with candidate name, and also serve preliminary function of alerting voters to mere existence of an impending election.7 The absence of party as an active organization to provide a clue to alternatives available may cause voters in nonpartisan elections to seek other voting cues. Among voting cues are those provided by mass media or by organizations with a base in local community. Banfield and Wilson have stated that the readers of newspapers and members of civic associations, labor unions, women's clubs, and like often rely heavily upon an 'approved slate' in choosing among party-less and for most voters, meaningless, names on ballot.s