The Image and the Vote: The Effect of Candidate Presentation on Voter Preference

Abstract

It is generally assumed that a political candidate's appearance and style have an impact on voters and the choices they make on -election day. Little research, however, has been done to investigate this claim. Here, the authors examine the role that these nonverbal aspects of candidate presentation play in the process of political communication. In the course of two related studies, the impact of candidate photographs appearing on campaign flyers is assessed. The results suggest that these photographs influence voters' perceptions of a candidate and this significantly affects their vote. How a political candidate looks and speaks has a significant impact on that candidate's chances of being elected-style shapes image and image affects the vote. These claims are political truisms of the television era. Election commentary invariably focuses on candidates' images and their image-making strategies. A good example of this is provided by the news commentary on the 1984 Democratic presidential primaries. Attention centered on the role of image-the strength of Gary Hart's image and the weakness of the images of the initially more prominent Alan Cranston and John Glenn. Although the importance of a candidate's appearance and style is taken for granted by politicians, campaign consultants, and news commentators, there is little systematic research to support this assumption. Political scientists have not addressed the issue. In the research reported here, we provide a first step in the study of this nonverbal dimension of political communication and its impact on voter preference. We offer evidence which suggests that (1) a candidate's physical appearance produces a clear image of that candidate's character and fitness for public office and (2) this nonverbally communicated image has a significant impact on the vote.