A low information voter, also known as a misinformation voter, is someone who participates in elections despite being generally poorly informed about political issues[1]. This term has been popular in the United States since the mid-1990s.

Key characteristics of low information voters include:

1. They tend to have more moderate ideological views compared to high-information voters[1].
2. They are less likely to vote, but when they do, they often choose candidates based on personal appeal rather than policy positions[1].
3. They are more likely to be swing voters and vote split-ticket[1].
4. They may rely on cues or heuristics, such as a candidate’s appearance or behavior, rather than substantial information to make voting decisions[1].
5. They can be more susceptible to emotional appeals on various topics, including the economy, immigration, and racial relations[4].

Low information voters often lack fundamental facts about government and exhibit a low “need for cognition,” meaning they are less inclined to engage in effortful thinking about complex issues[4]. This can make them more vulnerable to misinformation and less likely to critically evaluate candidates’ claims or policy positions[4].

It’s important to note that the term “low information voter” is sometimes used pejoratively, particularly in American political discourse[1]. However, the concept is studied seriously in political science to understand voting behavior and its impact on electoral outcomes.

Citations: [1] Low information voter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_information_voter [2] What Are Low Information Voters? - ThoughtCo https://www.thoughtco.com/low-information-voters-5184982 [3] Trump Is Preying on Low-Information Voters - New York Magazine https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/trump-low-information-voters.html [4] ‘Low information voters’ are a crucial part of Trump’s support https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2016/11/07/low-information-voters-are-a-crucial-part-of-trumps-support/ [5] The Tragedy Of Rush Limbaugh’s Low Information Voter Theory https://www.forbes.com/sites/cedricmuhammad/2013/08/27/the-tragedy-of-rush-limbaughs-low-information-voter-theory/