Distracted Voting Hurts Candidates Of Color At The Ballot Box Cody Drabble Thursday, May 24, 2018 | Sacramento, CA Listen / download audio Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin. A voter casts a ballot at the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, Friday, Nov. 4, 2016, in San Jose , Calif. Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP Photo Being distracted while voting can have unintended consequences, especially for political candidates of color. UC Merced political science professor Jessica Trounstine shares new research on how voters are less likely to vote for ethnic looking names when they lack familiarity with any of the candidates.