Who can benefit?

Automatically saved draft

The last four weeks before a local council election are considered an intensive phase, but even now there is no getting around the issue in some municipalities.

(Bild: Jauschowetz Christian)

Elections will be held in Styrian municipalities in five weeks' time, and meadows, fields and bus stops are slowly becoming overgrown with election advertising - again. Will the fourth major election in nine months lead to an overload of advertising?

Even if not everyone has started yet - the townscape of many municipalities shows that the next decision is imminent after the EU, National Council and regional elections. And this time, too, it won't be possible without posters.

Detour profitability at the regulars' table
It is a necessary evil, says political scientist Peter Filzmaier. Even if, according to election motive research, the direct benefit is disproportionate to the significantly cheaper communication channels via personal contact or social media, there is a kind of indirect profitability. "For example, if people talk about it at the regulars' table, as an election campaigner I manage to get my messages out there."

Feel-good slogans and motifs characterize the image in local council election campaigns.

(Bild: Jauschowetz Christian)

Political scientist Katrin Praprotnik points out a second important factor: The motivation of fellow campaigners is increased when they are confronted with the slogans of their own movement at every turn. "It's a signal to everyone: it's an election campaign." If the posters and their content are also discussed in the media, this is certainly to be welcomed in terms of democratic policy.

What is my vote worth?
The crucial question of whether the jungle of posters leads to voter fatigue or even disenchantment is less easy to answer. Praprotnik points out that political satisfaction actually increases after elections because the population has the feeling that they have made a difference.

Political scientists Katrin Praprotnik and Peter Filzmaier, who work at the University of Graz, explain the background to the early start of some local council election campaigns.

(Bild: Holl Reinhard)

The dreaded voter fatigue cannot be scientifically proven, adds Filzmaier. However, the consideration of whether one's own vote can make a difference is certainly a factor at municipal level. "In many places, the majorities are very clear, so as an individual you could get the idea that it doesn't matter to me at all." In any case, the direct influence of posters on voting behavior is negligible: less than ten percent say they are influenced by them. At the same time, however, more than 90 percent are at least aware of the messages.

A crisp four-week intensive phase as a rule of thumb
There is no perfect time to launch a campaign. The four weeks before the election date (in the current case, March 23) are considered an intensive phase during which you should definitely be present. For Praprotnik, an election campaign concentrated on a few weeks also has the advantage "that you can hold out until the end and not run out of steam before the ballot". However, a look around the country shows that many local groups have already forged ahead and have mayors and challengers smiling from their stands.

They often feature banal feel-good messages that are very different from the tough slogans at federal or state level. "The slogans are sometimes interchangeably unimaginative," says Filzmaier. There are also reasons for this: Long-standing incumbents find it difficult to make concrete demands because they lead to the question: "And what have you done so far?", as the expert puts it. Challengers, on the other hand, are somewhat reluctant to make election promises because they are difficult to implement in municipalities where another party has an absolute majority. Nevertheless: "You could have a bit more original ideas. The slogans are often the same as they were 20 years ago, sometimes you just copy something from the neighboring municipality," says Filzmaier.

Ballpoint pens & co. are "pure psychology"
The fact that items such as pens, lighters and the like are in circulation alongside the ubiquitous posters is pure psychology. "You create a completely different communication situation," explains Filzmaier. "Imagine you are an election campaigner in a shopping center and have nothing to offer except a warm handshake..."