Ballot order effect

Most electoral systems order candidates for various offices in a specific order.{{Cite book |title=The politics of electoral systems |date=2008 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-923867-5 |editor-last=Gallagher |editor-first=Michael |edition= |location=Oxford ; New York |editor-last2=Mitchell |editor-first2=Paul}} This can include ordering candidates alphabetically,{{Cite journal |last=Edwards |first=Barry C. |date=2015 |title=Alphabetically Ordered Ballots and the Composition of American Legislatures |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S153244000000654X/type/journal_article |journal=State Politics & Policy Quarterly |language=en |volume=15 |issue=2 |pages=171–191 |doi=10.1177/1532440015573265 |issn=1532-4400}} incumbency,{{cite court |litigants=Holtzman v. Power |vol=62|reporter=Misc.2d |opinion=1020|court=New York Supreme Court |date=1970|url=https://case-law.vlex.com/vid/holtzman-v-power-885930919}}{{Cite journal |last1=Koppell |first1=Jonathan Gs |last2=Steen |first2=Jennifer A. |date=2004 |title=The Effects of Ballot Position on Election Outcomes |url=https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1046/j.1468-2508.2004.00151.x |journal=The Journal of Politics |language=en |volume=66 |issue=1 |pages=267–281 |doi=10.1046/j.1468-2508.2004.00151.x |issn=0022-3816}} randomly,{{Cite journal |last1=Ho |first1=Daniel E. |last2=Imai |first2=Kosuke |date=2008 |title=Estimating Causal Effects of Ballot Order from a Randomized Natural Experiment |url=https://academic.oup.com/poq/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/poq/nfn018 |journal=Public Opinion Quarterly |language=en |volume=72 |issue=2 |pages=216–240 |doi=10.1093/poq/nfn018 |issn=1537-5331}}{{Cite journal |last1=Hansen |first1=Bertel Teilfeldt |last2=Olsen |first2=Asmus Leth |date=2014-11-01 |title=Order in chaos: Ballot order effects in a post-conflict election? |url=https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2053168014559425 |journal=Research & Politics |language=en |volume=1 |issue=3 |doi=10.1177/2053168014559425 |issn=2053-1680}} or by political party.{{Cite journal |last1=Flis |first1=Jarosław |last2=Kaminski |first2=Marek M. |date=2022 |title=Party-related primacy effects in proportional representation systems: evidence from a natural experiment in Polish local elections |url=https://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11127-021-00939-1 |journal=Public Choice |language=en |volume=190 |issue=3–4 |pages=345–363 |doi=10.1007/s11127-021-00939-1 |issn=0048-5829|doi-access=free }} The order of candidate name placement on a ballot can subtly sway results the outcome of the election{{Cite journal |last1=Augenblick |first1=Ned |last2=Nicholson |first2=Scott |date=2016 |title=Ballot Position, Choice Fatigue, and Voter Behaviour |url=https://academic.oup.com/restud/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/restud/rdv047 |journal=The Review of Economic Studies |language=en |volume=83 |issue=2 |pages=460–480 |doi=10.1093/restud/rdv047 |issn=0034-6527|hdl=10.1093/restud/rdv047 |hdl-access=free }}{{Cite journal |last=Grant |first=Darren |date=2017 |title=The ballot order effect is huge: evidence from Texas |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11127-017-0454-8 |journal=Public Choice |language=en |volume=172 |issue=3–4 |pages=421–442 |doi=10.1007/s11127-017-0454-8 |issn=0048-5829}} by leveraging cognitive shortcuts in decision making.{{Cite journal |last1=Däubler |first1=Thomas |last2=Rudolph |first2=Lukas |date=2020 |title=Cue-Taking, Satisficing, or Both? Quasi-experimental Evidence for Ballot Position Effects |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11109-018-9513-1 |journal=Political Behavior |language=en |volume=42 |issue=2 |pages=625–652 |doi=10.1007/s11109-018-9513-1 |hdl=20.500.11850/312253 |issn=0190-9320|hdl-access=free }}{{Citation |title=Reconsidering the American Ballot |date=2020-11-30 |work=The Politics of Ballot Design |pages=130–141 |url=https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108904254.006 |access-date=2025-01-27 |publisher=Cambridge University Press|doi=10.1017/9781108904254.006 |isbn=978-1-108-90425-4 }} One possible explanation for this draws on the primacy effect a psychological principle suggesting that individuals are more likely to remember items or candidates listed first. Another possible explanation is called the limited information hypothesis which suggests that when voters don't have significant amounts of information about the election{{Cite journal |last1=Johnson |first1=Andrew J |last2=Miles |first2=Chris |date=2011 |title=Order effects of ballot position without information-induced confirmatory bias |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1057/bp.2011.26 |journal=British Politics |language=en |volume=6 |issue=4 |pages=479–490 |doi=10.1057/bp.2011.26 |issn=1746-918X}} or the candidates running in the election then they may default to other sources of information including race,{{Cite journal |last1=Matson |first1=Marsha |last2=Fine |first2=Terri Susan |date=2006 |title=Gender, Ethnicity, and Ballot Information: Ballot Cues in Low-Information Elections |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S153244000000267X/type/journal_article |journal=State Politics & Policy Quarterly |language=en |volume=6 |issue=1 |pages=49–72 |doi=10.1177/153244000600600103 |issn=1532-4400}} gender,{{Cite journal |last1=Ortega |first1=Carmen |last2=Oñate |first2=Pablo |date=2024 |title=Impact of information shortcuts on preferential voting: Gender and ballot position effects in Luxembourg and Switzerland |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/spsr.12640 |journal=Swiss Political Science Review |language=en |volume=30 |issue=4 |pages=446–471 |doi=10.1111/spsr.12640 |issn=1424-7755|doi-access=free }} and order on the ballot.{{Cite journal |last=Brockington |first=David |date=2003 |title=A Low Information Theory of Ballot Position Effect |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1022946710610 |journal=Political Behavior |volume=25 |issue=1 |pages=1–27 |doi=10.1023/A:1022946710610}}

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Category:Ballots

Category:Political psychology