In Democrats' low-information judicial primaries, gender and ballot names may drive voters' decisions

"When voters don’t know much about who they’re choosing among — as is typically the case in judicial races — 'what you do is grasp at whatever information shortcuts you can get,' said Victoria DeFrancesco Soto, who studies identity and politics at the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs. 'Demographic cues that come through in our names are important.'"