BUFFALO, N.Y. — When it comes to younger voters, they tend to get their information differently than in previous elections.

“I get a lot of news from, I don’t want to say Twitter, but Twitter,” said Kelechi Ogbonnaya, a student from the University at Buffalo.

And where voters go, political campaigns follow.

What You Need To Know

  • Presidental candidates have been appearing on podcasts and using other nontraditional social media platforms in their campaign trails this election season. 
  • The new strategies come as a way to reach a wider and younger audience.
  • While most of the voters we spoke with did appreciate the evolving campaign strategy, some also acknowledged that it comes with risks. 

This election season, both presidential candidates have appeared on popular podcasts, with Kamala Harris appearing on "Call Her Daddy" and Donald Trump appearing on "The Joe Rogan Experience."

“Campaigns will try anything,” said Jacob Neiheisel, an associate professor of political science from the University at Buffalo. “I think that they’re operating in an environment that doesn’t always have as much information as they would like and so they’re always looking to see what the next new thing might be.”

Many of the voters we spoke with appreciate the evolving strategy.

“As a voter I welcome it just because information is power. It’s important to know why you’re voting for someone and not just vote blindly out of party line,” said Cory Promowicz.

“The way with podcasts and TikTok campaigns, [...] I think that that's garnering for our attention, that’s for us to see,” said Jules Fiore, another UB student.

“I distinctly remember [Harris’] ‘Call Her Daddy’ interview — that one really took me. They went over women’s rights and everything she wants for women in her campaign,” said UB student Joshua Crandle. 

While the use of these platforms has some benefits, such as more access to information and more uninterrupted time to hear from candidates, it also comes with risk.

“The flip side of having three hours to fill is that you might meander a little bit, and there's going to be a lot of opportunities for you to veer off into territories that your campaign staff might not want you to do so,” Neiheisel said.

Making the new campaign strategy something not all voters agree with.

“I don’t particularly like it because, in my opinion, going on a podcast, [you're] talking to people who might not be as skilled in asking questions and sticking with those hard-hitting questions,” said Ogbonnaya.