Anke Kessler wins 2013 Sterling Prize

Anke Kessler was awarded the 2013 Nora and Ted Sterling Prize in Support of Controversy for her research into the robo-call allegations during the 2011 Canadian Federal Election.  The Sterling Prize honours work that provokes and contributes to the understanding of controversy.

Kessler’s 2012 discussion paper found that robo-calling, if the phenomenon did occur, could have significantly influenced voter turnout and ballot results in the last federal election.

“It’s an honour to receive the prize, particularly for some rather serious research that was being directed at contemporary policy, and quite a pressing issue at the time,” said Kessler, who regularly studies political institutions, government structure and elections.

“I hope that [receiving the award] renews public interest into the matter of voter demobilization, my concern being that we will see these kinds of voter suppression strategies increasingly in the future, both legal and illegal. My hope is that political commentators and the public will stay vigilant, and that legislative steps will be taken to address potential abuse, and restore Canadians' level of confidence in an electoral process that is fair and free from deceptive practices."

On Oct 15, 2013, Anke Kessler accepted the award and presented the lecture “Does Misinformation Demobilize the Electorate? Measuring the Impact of “Robocalls” on the 2011 Canadian Federal Election.