Political party leaflets still seen as "important" and "positive" in election build-up
Doctor Lynn Bennie from the University of Aberdeen tells us studies regard leaflets as capable of making a difference.
Last updated 4th May 2021
Read with interest, laid on the hall table and neglected for weeks, or put straight into the recycling pile.
These are some of the fates awaiting the election leaflets that have been pouring through our letterboxes for the last few weeks in the build up to Thursday's Holyrood election, but are they worth persisting with for political parties?
With the prominence of social media in our lives, party messages and manifestos can be brought straight to our fingertips at the click of a button.
This year though, we're hearing a Covid-forced lack of canvassing is increasing the importance of leaflets arriving in our homes.
Doctor Lynn Bennie works in the politics department at the University of Aberdeen and says they play a part for those of us who may be feeling a bit indecisive.
She said: "There is a long tradition of studies looking at the effectiveness of leaflets and mostly they conclude they're important. Leaflets combined with candidates and representatives speaking to voters are judged as effective by studies. They won't change opinion dramatically but can influence opinion on the margins in a local campaign.
"This is a situation no one has ever been in and with the virus curtailing canvassing, the leaflets become even more important. Most studies show the engagement between representatives and the electorate is what matters most, but as that's scaled back we would have to assume leaflets are more important as there's no restraints on that in the current situation."
Despite the assertion leaflets can decide which side of the fence a voter falls on, a saturation point can be reached to the extent where some of us ask for them not to be posted. Trying to remain environmentally friendly can contribute to our lethargy as well, as explained further by Doctor Bennie.
She continued: "There's an argument we shouldn't be producing as many leaflets and that will leave some voters unhappy, especially in the current context of the world.
"We can get annoyed and frustrated and there might be a point where they become counter-productive to individual parties or the democratic system, but the studies don't suggest that's happened yet.
I have neighbours who have notes on their door or window saying "no political leaflets", so some don't like it but overall the effect is regarded as a positive one."