Will Campaign Signs Influence Macomb Township's Votes on Aug. 7?

Many consider campaign signs as little more than a nuisance during election season, but like it or not, their presence has the potential to impact the outcome of a local race.

Drive any major thoroughfare in Macomb Township and you’ll be greeted by campaign signs at every intersection as well as on the lawns of countless homes and businesses in between.

The size of these political adverts ranges anywhere from small poster boards with barely legible print to portable road signs displaying an array of digital messages.

And though this type of advertising may seem old fashioned in the digital age, a study published by researchers at Vanderbilt University last year says name recognition can make a difference at the polls.

It is doubtless for this reason why Macomb Township’s candidates are spending thousands this election season to ensure potential voters recognize their names on Aug. 7.

Supervisor candidate Janet Dunn reports spending $2,200 for signage, while clerk candidate Cathy Imbronone says she's spent $2,750 compared to incumbent Clerk Michael Koehs’ $2,088.75, according to recently .

Although all board candidates have conducted countless interviews with local media and political groups, it's no secret that many voters head to the polls with only an inkling of each candidate's platform.

While it won't be the majority of voters, those who make their final decision based on name recognition have the potential to swing the election in a tight race.

In an effort to measure the impact of name recognition, researchers at Vanderbilt University conducted a variety of experiments including one field study in which researchers actually created a fictional candidate during a real election. This fictional candidate's campaign sign was placed in a high-traffic area and left there for several days.

Researchers then asked a sampling of voters to select their top three choices for their county’s at-large council seats. The survey they were given included the names of five incumbents and two fictitious candidates.

The results showed that nearly a quarter of the respondents who had driven past the fictitious candidate’s sign placed him among their top three choices for the seats.

The study concluded that prospective voters not only favor candidates with more familiar names, but also perceive those candidates as more likely to win.

Whether this will hold true in Macomb Township's election remains to be seen.

Voters head to the polls Aug. 7 and because there are no Democrats running for any of the board seats, the primary will decide the outcome of the supervisor's, treasurer's, clerk's and trustees' races in Macomb Township.

Have you ever voted based on name recognition? Vote in the poll or tell us in the comments what role you think name recognition will play in this election.