The Impact of Endorsements on Voting

Abstract

Newspaper endorsements played an important and measurable role in determining the outcome of the 1964 Illinois at-large election for state representatives. In this election, it was possible to vote for 177 candidates. To help the electorate cope with this major voting task, newspapers throughout Illinois provided information generally not available elsewhere, as well as recommendations which could be used compatibly with party loyalties. Localism and the endorsements of civic and special interest groups also affected voting in this election, but less so than newspaper endorsements. Aggregate statistics provide the basic and most appropriate data source for these conclusions.