2009 Press Releases
Voters’ choice
15.06.2009
Does the design of the ballot paper impact on voters’ choice? This is the question being addressed by researchers at UCC’s Department of Government.
15.06.2009
Does the design of the ballot paper impact on voters’ choice? This is the question being addressed by researchers at UCC’s Department of Government.
While a great deal of attention was paid in recent days to the outcome of the local and European elections, UCC’s Department of Government was examining the impact of the design of the ballot paper on voters’ choices.
Ireland is one of the few countries to feature photographs of candidates on the ballot paper. Almost no research has been done on the impact of the photograph. In an election where peoples’ level of information about the policy stance’s, track records and ability of candidates are low, the UCC researchers were keen to see if electors make judgements from the basis of politicians’ images.
This UCC research is being done in collaboration with colleagues at Princeton University and it is anticipated that results will be disseminated
in the coming months.
Picture shows: Philip Murphy and Melissa Terret, Department of Government, UCC
1142MMcS
Ireland is one of the few countries to feature photographs of candidates on the ballot paper. Almost no research has been done on the impact of the photograph. In an election where peoples’ level of information about the policy stance’s, track records and ability of candidates are low, the UCC researchers were keen to see if electors make judgements from the basis of politicians’ images.
This UCC research is being done in collaboration with colleagues at Princeton University and it is anticipated that results will be disseminated
in the coming months.
Picture shows: Philip Murphy and Melissa Terret, Department of Government, UCC
1142MMcS