SAN DIEGO — In the last few weeks leading up to November 5, we can expect more campaign mailers heading our way. But do they do more than clog up our mailboxes?
“I don’t personally like them," said early voter Debbie Stinson. "They seem like a lot of extra mail.”
Sinson and others CBS 8 talked with at the Registrar of Voters said they don’t pay any attention to political mailers.
“You know, most of the time I just look at them for one second and put them right in the recycle bin,” said Max Schwede.
CBS 8 talked with an expert on how effective the mailers really are.
“What you see from these mailers is actually some of the most creative political advertising because they’re trying to draw your attention before you get to the waste box, so that’s why you’ll see that grabber headline or that interesting photo," said Thad Kousser, Professor of Political Science at UC San Diego.
Kousser told CBS 8 that the glossy mailers can have some effect on the margins, which is important because that's where elections are oftentimes won or lost.
“Campaigns can target them to the voters who are most likely to turn out or the voters who are right on the fence," said Kousser. "They know a lot about you because of your voter record, you know, how often in the last six elections you cast a ballot. That’s a matter of public record."
Kousser said the mailer method can be a cost-effective way to target voters, especially for some of the down ballot local races. To reach a half-million people in a particular district, for example, he said $50,000 can cover printing and postage.
“If someone still watches television with commercials, you just change the channel when an ad comes on. You’re listening to your radio, you just hit another radio station," explained Kousser. "But these mailers, they get in your mailbox, you’ve got to walk them all the way to your trash can, and they’ve got your attention during that short time-period.”