The Religious Factor in the Electoral Behavior of the Voter on the Example of Municipal Elections in Moscow in 2022

Abstract

The subject of the study of the influence of the religious factor in the electoral behavior of Muscovites. The purpose of the study is to assess the motivation of political choice and the participation of the electorate in the 2022 election campaign in Moscow from the point of view of the religious factor. We have considered aspects of electoral behavior, the significance of the religious factor, and conducted a characteristic of municipal self-government elections in the city of Moscow. The main analytical base of the article was collected as a result of a sociological survey conducted in August 2022, the data of which were obtained through a remote survey via the VKontakte social network, as well as through personal surveys of respondents. The voter's personal religious beliefs, which formed his attitude to the candidate, as well as the declared religiosity of the candidate himself, affecting his image, were established as a source of forming attitudes towards the candidate. Our research allowed us to form an opinion on the impact of the religious factor on the political sympathies of the electorate. Often, the political choice depends on the ethical and moral ideas formed by religion, with the help of which the program and the candidate's image are evaluated. At the same time, the electoral behavior of the voter is not dependent on his religiosity. We hope to continue our research to further understand the value of a religious resource in creating motivation for political participation among the electorate.