Political science professor: Last-minute ads critical for swaying undecided voters

Political ads are critical in swaying undecided voters the week before Election Day, according to retired political science professor Bob Loevy.

“The last-minute ads are very important,” said Loevy, who taught at Colorado College for 46 years.

“These last-minute ads are aimed at them because many of these people being disconnected from politics the way they are, that last T.V. commercial that they see may determine their vote,” he said.

Loevy said the ads featured a week before Election Day aren’t geared toward party loyalists.

“The most important time to reach the undecided voter is late in the process,” Loevy said.

With two tight races in the state, the race for governor and the U.S. Senate seat, KRDO NewsChannel 13 asked voters if the ads have swayed their decisions.

“As a kid my parents always told me never to really listen to the ads. Either they’re too extreme or I don’t have enough information,” said Sam Goddard, a college student in Colorado Springs.

“The ads were on, we were eating dinner, and it was like if I didn’t know who I was going to vote for, each one canceled out anything positive that the other one might have said,” Carole Potter, of Trinidad, said.

Potter’s husband, Tom Potter, said, “I don’t know about other people but for me, it makes no difference at all.”

This November’s election marks the first statewide mail-ballot election. Loevy believes that is also contributing to the bombardment of ads on television.

“I think we’re going to have one of the highest turnouts and, above all, I think we’re going to have the highest total number of voters that we’ve ever had,” Loevy said.

More than 20 percent of voters in El Paso and Pueblo counties have submitted their ballots.