Ballot paper photographs and low-information elections in Ireland

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Date
2007-10
Authors
Buckley, Fiona
Collins, Neil
Reidy, Theresa
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Political Studies Association; Blackwell Publishing
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Abstract
In an attempt to facilitate greater voting participation in the Republic of Ireland, photographs of candidates have been placed on the ballot paper for local, national and European elections. Limited research undertaken in advance of the implementation of the photograph policy advised that the measure would assist people with literacy problems. However, social psychology research has long demonstrated that people are willing to make considerable judgements about a person when shown a photograph. The advent of ballot paper photographs allows candidates to be evaluated on the basis of their appearance. This article will explore how photographs could have become a factor in voter decision-making. Providing additional knowledge to encourage greater participation and engagement has introduced a possible new level of superficiality into the voter decision-making process.
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Keywords
Ballot papers , Voting , Irish politics
Citation
Buckley, F., Collins, N., Reidy, T., 2007. Ballot paper photographs and low-information elections in Ireland. Politics, 27(3), pp.174-181. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9256.2007.00297.x
Copyright
Journal compilation © 2007 Political Studies Association and Blackwell Publishing Ltd