Good morning. The U.S. presidential election is nearly upon us and campaign ads have reached a fever pitch. (That is, unless you’re in one of the seven swing states. In which case, sorry.)
There’s an awful lot of tech money fueling those ads: crypto money, VC money, Musk money. But in tech, we love cold, hard data. So: Do political ads actually work?
According to 2021 research from Northwestern Kellogg, they do. Positive ads stimulate voter turnout generally, but negative ads—the kinds that typically run closest to election day—boost voter turnout for the favored candidate, even as they suppress overall turnout.
The catch? Those voters might turn out in places where the race isn’t close enough to matter. But where it does, well… —Andrew Nusca
Before we go to more news...request your invitation to Fortune’s premier event, the Fortune Global Forum, convening in New York City Nov. 11-12. Fortune Global 500 executives and international policy leaders will discuss managing workforces in an AI-powered economy, climate and energy issues, global trade, and the future of democracy.
Want to send thoughts or suggestions to Data Sheet? Drop a line here.
