Campaign mailers flood Cape Fear mailboxes as Election Day approaches

32 minutes ago

Conor Doherty,

CAPE FEAR, NC (WWAY) — With the midterm election less than a week away, voters across the Cape Fear are seeing their mailboxes fill with campaign advertisements as candidates make their final push for votes.

But for some voters, the constant stream of political mailers has become more frustrating than persuasive.

Ann Pope and Rita Hartley, who were waiting to cast their ballots during early voting Tuesday at the Leland Cultural Arts Center, said they have grown tired of the political advertising.

“I think it’s very excessive, to be perfectly honest with you, and I don’t even look at them. I just rip them up and put them in recycling,” Pope said.

Hartley shared a similar frustration.

“Many that are pitched right into the recycle bin, and if I could do the same with the signs, it’s too much, it’s overwhelming,” Hartley said.

While campaign mailers are a common part of election season, research suggests their impact on voter turnout is relatively small.

Political science researchers Donald Green and Alan Gerber have found that campaign mailers generally produce only a slight increase in voter turnout, often less than one percentage point.

However, University of North Carolina Wilmington political science professor Nadine Gibson said the effectiveness of campaign mailers can depend on who sends them and the message they carry.

“The political science research suggests that the most effective mailers are ones that come from nonpartisan groups that remind you of your civic duty, or let you know that your vote is public record, but who you voted for is not,” Gibson said.

Gibson said most campaign mailers come from interest groups rather than candidates themselves. She explained that interest groups tend to send more negative political messages, while advertisements from candidates are generally more positive.

Meanwhile, one first-time voter told WWAY that although they have received campaign mailers, social media posts and online videos are more likely to influence their voting decisions.

Election officials review absentee ballots ahead of Election Day

As voters continue heading to early voting sites, county boards of elections across the Cape Fear are also working to review and verify absentee ballots that have already been submitted.

The Brunswick County Board of Elections met Tuesday to review absentee ballots and determine whether they should be accepted or rejected.

According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, the number of rejected or spoiled ballots has increased slightly compared to the 2022 election.

In neighboring Pender County, election officials also met Tuesday to review 161 absentee ballots, including ballots submitted by military members and civilians overseas.

Pender County Board of Elections Director Greg Jackson said absentee voting plays an important role in making elections accessible to people who cannot vote in person.

“Because it helps those individuals that aren’t able to make it to the polls, whether they had a last-minute vacation or emergency or they’re just physically unable to make it out,” Jackson said. “And it really helps our military veterans out there who can’t be home to vote to be able to cast that ballot.”