Information and Voting: A Panel Study

Abstract: Political campaigns can be an important source of information for voters, but little attention has been paid to the questions of (a) who learns issue-related information over the course of a campaign and (b) the consequences of that learning on candidate preference. This study uses data from a three-wave panel survey of 301 respondents, conducted in Broward and Palm Beach counties during the 1998 Florida governor's race. Controlling for prior levels of information about candidate issue positions and group endorsements, we find that learning in these areas is promoted by general knowledge about politics, caring about the election outcome, and partisan independence. Further, new information helped respondents to cast votes consistent with their issue preferences, though more so on school vouchers than on abortion or gun control. Learning and partisan independence were found to be associated with changes in candidate preference between late summer and election day