Final answer:
Voters use heuristics and research to form an opinion about candidates, considering factors like political party identification and candidate backgrounds. These methods help voters decide which candidates to investigate further and form an opinion.
Step-by-step explanation:
Voters use various methods to form an opinion about candidates. One method is relying on heuristics or shortcuts, such as political party identification. For example, a Republican voter may be more inclined to support a conservative candidate. Another method is conducting research, which involves learning background information about candidates before making a decision. This can be done by analyzing information provided by candidates, parties, and campaigns, as well as media coverage. Lastly, voters may consider various factors like gender, race, socio-economic status, and interest-group affiliation as heuristics for decision making. For instance, voters may assume that women candidates have a better understanding of social issues relevant to women. These methods help voters decide which candidates to investigate further and form an opinion.