VOTER CONTACT TECHNIQUES IN STATE LEGISLATIVE CAMPAIGNS - THE PREVALENCE OF MASS-MEDIA ADVERTISING

What methods of voter contact are used by candidates running for state legislative office? A number of studies on the congressional level su ggest that mass media advertising, particularly on television, is beco ming the predominant form of voter contact. However, few studies have questioned whether these findings are generalizable to state legislati ve races. This analysis of itemized expenditure data for 583 primary a nd general election candidates in Texas and Kansas shows that state le gislative campaigns differ dramatically from congressional campaigns i n their methods of voter contact. in both primary and general election campaigns, state legislative candidates allocate a preponderance of t heir voter contact dollars to direct forms of contact, such as mailing s and pamphlet distribution. However, some candidates do allocate reso urces to advertising in mass media. District-level features condition the choice more than do candidate type, level of expenditures, or elec toral competition.