Study Finds Targeted Ads Reduced 2016 Turnout

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison published a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday finding that targeted digital voter suppression advertisements from undisclosed organizations likely reduced turnout in the 2016 presidential election. The analysis links user exposure and individual turnout records, estimating exposed voters were 1.86 percentage points less likely to vote (about 4.7 million votes), disproportionately affecting Black, Native American, and Latino voters in battleground states.