Does the Framing of Information Regarding Foreign Election Interference Matter? Evidence from a Survey Experiment in Canada

Abstract

As a response to foreign election interference efforts, politicians and news media have adopted various frames which highlight the hinderance of such interference in electoral processes. However, little research has examined the impact of the framing of this election interference discourse on the attitudes and behaviours of voters. This research examines the impact of negative and positive election interference frames on Canadian voters using an experimental vignette design. Specifically, this study focuses on three dependent variables: citizens' trust in electoral institutions, their likelihood of voting, and their level of comfort using alternative methods of electoral participation. The results suggest that the framing of information on the topic of election interference can have an important impact on citizens' attitudes toward the electoral process. We find that positive, but not negative, information regarding election interference influences respondents' trust in the electoral system. We also find that the effect is greatest in politically uninterested individuals. Lastly, the results show that conservatives hold more negative attitudes towards elections and voting.