OLYMPIA, Wash. – TVW, Washington state’s version of C-SPAN, has released its Video Voters’ Guide.
While the Washington Secretary of State’s office always releases a print voter’s guide, the Video Voters’ Guide offers voters the opportunity to see candidates describe their platform in a prepared speech format.
Some candidates, including Republican gubernatorial hopeful Dave Reichert, have posted their segments from the video guide on social media.
The impact of televised messaging from candidates, as opposed to written communications, has been researched by political scientists for as long as television has existed.
The most famous instance of video broadcasts having an effect on the way voters think were the 1960 Nixon-Kennedy debates. Those who read or listened to the debates generally favored Nixon’s performance, whereas those who watched the televised debates thought Kennedy looked more composed.
TVW’s Video Voter’s Guide can be found here. The print Voter’s Guide can be found on the Secretary of State’s website.
