Who Turns Out When Campaigns Turn Negative? Affective Polarization and the Countermobilizing Effect of Attack Ads

• In Event: Campaigns and Evolving Voter Preferences

Brief Overview

This study tests how negative ads affect turnout in a polarized era, using a 2×2+control survey in the 2025 VA governor’s race. It examines if out-party attacks mobilize partisans but demobilize independents, with implications for campaign strategy.

Author

• Victor Yuhang Wu, Stanford University