Most political CTV budgets are paying to reach voters who already voted

By Election Day, more than 60% of ballots are already cast—but most CTV plans never adjust, serving impressions to households that have nothing left to decide. This guide shows political advertisers where that waste hides, why the industry won't flag it, and how to wire turnout data into targeting so budget follows the voters who still matter.

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See where $2.5 billion in political CTV is going wrong.

What's inside

The waste no one in the industry will flag for you

  • Why the linear playbook now costs more reach for higher CPMs, and what's actually changed in voter viewing habits since 2024.
  • The structural efficiency gap built into nearly every political CTV campaign—and the math on what static targeting wastes.
  • How early and absentee voting reshapes the persuadable universe daily, and why static audience files can't keep up.
  • A five-week, three-week, and final-two-week framework for flighting, frequency, and creative built for streaming.
  • The questions every campaign should ask a CTV partner before committing budget, plus a one-page readiness checklist.
Who it’s for

Buyers accountable for every political dollar

Campaign managers, political agencies, and media consultants planning or buying CTV for the 2026 midterms. If you're accountable for where political dollars land—and for proving those impressions reached voters who hadn't yet cast a ballot—this guide gives you the framework and the partner questions to spend with precision instead of on autopilot.