Experts: 2026 Midterm Ads Trigger Heightened Voter Anxiety

Political campaign advertisements in this year's midterm election are triggering higher levels of anxiety among voters, according to mental health professionals. The shift toward aggressive messaging is leaving many residents in Denver and across the country feeling overwhelmed as they prepare to cast ballots on November 3.

Nailah Scarber, a first-time voter participating in the 2026 midterm cycle, described the current advertising climate as more antagonistic than any previous election. She noted that the dramatic nature of the spots does not help her understand the candidates on the ballot. Scarber said, "It's just so absurd. Back in the day it was Democrats vs. the Republicans, but this time you're actually talking about people's families and people's personal convictions."

Arash Javanbakht, a psychiatry professor at Wayne State University, explained that campaign rhetoric is engineered to elicit specific emotional responses. He stated that when fear and anger are triggered, voters pay closer attention and engage more deeply with the material. Javanbakht said, "When the negative emotions, fear-based, anger-based emotions, are triggered, we pay more attention, we tap more, we engage more."

To counteract this stress, Javanbakht advises voters to actively seek out neutral or positive information from diverse sources. He suggested balancing political coverage with news from arts, sports, and community science. He also recommended face-to-face conversations with people who share similar values but hold different political views to reduce feelings of division.

The 2026 midterm election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 3. Voters in Denver will head to polling locations to select candidates for federal, state, and local offices.