Political ads are everywhere. They will never stop

I’m sure you  are sick of political ads.

Turn on the television and there they are. Open your phone and another one. Check your mailbox and you'll find another glossy mailer telling you why one candidate is the answer to every problem and the other is a threat to civilization.

The frustrating part is nearly everyone claims to dislike political advertising. Yet every election season, Ohio voters are flooded with it.

Television stations sell it. Radio stations sell it. Newspapers sell it. Social media platforms sell it. Streaming services sell it. Political consultants make money producing it. Campaigns spend millions buying it.

Ohio isn't just seeing a lot of political ads. According to AdImpact, Ohio's political ad spending projections jumped by more than $300 million this year, with nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars expected to be spent. Nationally, political campaigns and outside groups are expected to spend nearly $11.6 billion on advertising during the 2026 election cycle. 

Political campaigns need ways to communicate with voters. Media outlets need revenue to operate. Advertising has long been the bridge between the two.

Ohio law recognizes political advertising is a normal part of the election process. The law does not prohibit media outlets from accepting campaign advertising. In fact, federal and state laws establish rules governing how those advertisements are sold and disclosed.

Many voters are surprised to learn broadcasters cannot simply charge whatever they want during election season.

Federal law requires broadcast television and radio stations to provide legally qualified candidates access to advertising opportunities under specific rules. During designated pre-election periods, stations generally must offer candidates their lowest unit rate for the same class of advertising time. Federal law also includes "equal opportunities" requirements that can apply when stations provide access to candidates for public office.

Translation, broadcasters can make money from political advertising, but they must follow rules intended to ensure fairness and transparency.

Ohio law adds to this.

Advertisements generally must identify who paid for them. Whether the message comes directly from a candidate, a political action committee, or an independent group, voters are entitled to know who is funding the communication. Ohio law also requires additional disclaimers for certain independent expenditures and election-related communications.

The result is an election system where enormous amounts of money flow through media platforms every campaign season.

A television station may dislike political advertising because viewers complain about it. However, political ads often represent some of the most valuable advertising inventory sold during an election year.

The same is true online.

Social media companies generate revenue from political advertising. Campaigns can target voters with extraordinary precision based on geography, demographics, and interests. A message that once appeared only during the evening news can now follow a voter throughout the day on a smartphone. The more money campaigns spend, the more advertising platforms earn.

None of this is illegal, this is the system we have created.

Campaigns know how advertising works and continue buying more of it.

The result is voters are bombarded with messages from candidates, parties, PACs, unions, corporations, advocacy groups and independent organizations. Some of those messages are informative. Some are persuasive. Some are misleading. Many are designed to provoke an emotional reaction.

This is why disclosure matters. Before believing a political ad, ask who paid for it. Or sharing a political post, ask who sponsored it. Don’t assume a claim is true, ask whether it can be independently verified.

The First Amendment protects political speech and it should. Elections require vigorous debate and disagreement. The responsibility for sorting through competing claims ultimately falls on voters.

No law can completely protect the public from exaggeration, selective facts, or political spin.

Informed voters remain the most important safeguard in the system.

As Ohio heads deeper into another election season, one thing is certain. The ads are not going away anytime soon because too much money is involved for everyone.

Wondering when the commercials will finally cease? The answer is the day after the election until the next campaign starts.

Rob Scott is the Kettering Clerk of Court, an attorney and a small-business owner. Contact him at rob@robscott.us.