"What do I think of those? It's a waste of money, that's what I think it is," Wichita voter Henry Buenten says.
Slick campaign ads arrive in the mail, and Buenten says they go straight in the trash.
Valerie Scott agrees.
"I put it in the trash," Scott says. "I get it all the time."
Both say many of the ads are focused on tearing down opponents, and are over the top.
"There's too much hate involved in these commercials and advertisements," Buenten adds.
There's one ad comparing a candidate to a stereotypical cigar smoking politician who doesn't tell the truth. There's also one featuring a doctored photo of Governor Sam Brownback dressed up like a circus ringleader. There are also many more all aimed at influencing the way you vote.
Calling opponents liars and criminals--Wichita State marketing professor Cindy Claycomb says research shows negative ads do work.
"I think a lot of people don't pay attention to what's going on," Claycomb says. "It's very possible these make a difference that way."
Although, Claycomb says flooding people's mailboxes with printed material featuring circuses and cigars isn't exactly cutting edge campaigning in the digital age.
"I would suggest it may be time to start looking at other ways to reach people, because I think this may become dated," Claycomb says. "We could be reaching a time when people don't pay any attention to it at all."
Many voters say, for them, that time has already come.
