Influence of political ads on YouTube on the Ecuadorian presidential voting decision 2025: A study in Limón Indanza
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37431/conectividad.v7i1.434Keywords:
YouTube, Political advertising, Voting decision, Electoral campaign, Digital communication, Limón IndanzaAbstract
This research analyzed the influence of political advertisements on YouTube during the April 2025 presidential campaign on the voting decisions of citizens in the canton of Limón Indanza, Ecuador. The study, with a quantitative approach and non-experimental design, collected data through surveys of 300 active YouTube voters, supplemented by official results from the National Electoral Council. The findings revealed that although 88% of respondents were exposed to political ads on the platform, 63% stated that these ads had little or no influence on their voting decision. Additionally, 57% perceived the ads as uninformative or misleading, and 60% developed negative reactions toward certain candidates due to ad saturation or content. Although Luisa González was the most recalled candidate in the ads (51%), Daniel Noboa obtained the highest electoral support (63.3% in the survey vs. 73.44% officially). This suggests that while YouTube was a massive exposure channel, its direct impact on voting decisions was limited, highlighting the importance of contextual factors and the critical perception of the electorate. The study concludes that digital political advertising requires more informative and less intrusive strategies to avoid counterproductive effects, especially in local contexts.
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