Low Voter Research Articles

Psychosocial Factors Influencing Voting Behavior

This study delves into the voting behaviour in the context of Indian electorate, shedding light on understanding it in the relatively new dimension, where the focus is primarily on psychological factors and social factors (demography) influencing the voting behaviour, which further sheds light on understanding the broader issues, like low voter turnout in India compared to other democracies worldwide, understanding of opinion polls and exit surveys and other evolving unethical Influences which are centred around mental process of voters cognition, which could create a new dimension of understanding the need for neuro rights of the voters, where the motive of free and fair elections can be achieved. This pioneering attempt to comprehend the psycho - social factors influencing voting behaviour in the Indian electoral system is groundbreaking as it has never been attempted before. In an election scenario, voters are exposed to a myriad of stimuli related to political candidates, parties, promises, and discussions, prompting selective exposure, perception, and integration processes to form the basis for their voting decisions. The study also draws on the voter turnout theory, highlighting the role of social reference groups and their impact on voter behaviour. Furthermore, it emphasizes the under explored domain of psychological and social factors in explaining political attitudes and voting behaviour among the mass public from relative unexplored dimensions, asserting that psychological traits directly influence the voting behaviour. With the Indian electoral system becoming increasingly dynamic due to diverse societal participation and steadily growing influential factors the need for study arises strongly, This research attempt is being carried forward by examining personality through the DISC personality assessment tool and quantifying the voting behaviour through the theory of planned behaviour questionnaire, the study seeks to discern the connections between demographic variables, personality traits and voting behaviour (intention). The components of voting behaviour were formed on the pivotals of theory of planned behaviour (TBH) such as behaviour beliefs, control beliefs and normative beliefs which more precisely create assessment area of voting behaviour intention. The study employs questionnaire with a five - point Likert scale to measure respondents' agreement with statements related to voting behaviour. The research's objectives include exploring the influence of a voter's personality and demographic variables on their voting behaviour and the influence of specific personality types on various facets of voting behaviour. The study's hypotheses posit that voting behaviour is influenced by psycho - social factors, particularly personality and demographic variables, and that different personality types may alternatively influence the voting behaviour intention. In conclusion, this study aims to elevate our comprehension of this context to a higher standard.

Democratically included? A systematic literature review on voter turnout of people with intellectual disabilities

The extent to which people with intellectual disabilities (ID) are voting is an under-researched area. In order to fill this gap, we conducted a systematic literature review with a focus on voter turnout and democratic inclusiveness among people with ID. In total, we found N = 9 studies that met our inclusion criteria, all of which were based on samples from Western countries such as Croatia, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and US. Our findings suggest that people with ID have substantially lower voter turnout than ordinary voters. Constraining factors for voting and other instances of democratic inclusion include educational limitations and physical obstacles at ballot places, as well as being under full guardianship. On the other hand, living in a household with a voter constitutes a facilitating factor. Because of the limited number of studies, we suggest that more basic quantitative and qualitative research in many countries ought to be conducted.

Language as a Communication Tool for Maximum Participation in Municipalities: Lessons from Moqhaka Local Municipality, South Africa

This study attempts to accent the momentousness of public participation as an essential element of successful good local governance in the Republic of South Africa. Public participation is a fundamental dimension of democracy and an important factor in the deepening of democratic process. In this study, a total of 283 literate and semi-literate residents from the Moqhaka Local Municipality (comprising Kroonstad, Viljoenskroon and Steynsrus) participated in a purposive non-probability sampling exercise. Questionnaires were given to respondents following the population sizes, where Kroonstad (150 respondents) being the largest, followed by Viljoenskroon (80 respondents), and lastly, Steynsrus (53 respondents). The results showed overwhelmingly that both literate and semi-literate members of the Municipality strongly suggest that the use of African languages, in this case Sesotho is crucial for democracy to thrive. This paper intended to revitalise and encourage public participation at South African local municipalities, and to help minimise protest actions where residents constantly demand better service delivery. This has been true with the low voter turnout rate during the November 2021 local government elections. Local municipalities in South Africa are facing a huge task of advocating the involvement of communities and community organisations in local government. Language of communication is thus important in achieving this.

The relationship between the lifestyle health index and voter turnout during the 2020 United States presidential election in the context of regional cultures

ObjectivesThere are numerous population health challenges confronting the United States (U.S.), including the unhealthy lifestyle – chronic disease pandemics. However, the impact of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and the increased prevalence of chronic diseases that result from them affect many facets of life outside of the health domain, and their scope remains under-appreciated. The current analysis contributes to addressing this knowledge gap by comparing the newly developed Lifestyle Health Index (LHI) to U.S. county-level voter turnout rates in the 2020 presidential election. Study designDescriptive, cross-sectional, retrospective analysis. MethodsCounty-level data on the LHI, percent voter turnout, and the American Nations regional cultures model schematic was used in the current analysis. ResultsPearson correlations between county-level LHI scores and sub scores and Democratic, Republican, and overall voter turnout were all statistically significant and of similar strength (r > 0.63, p < 0.001). All counties in the worst performing LHI quartile had a voter turnout <60 %. Higher LHIs were consistently assocaited with lower voter turnout across the regional cultures, although heterogeneity was evident across the American Nations. ConclusionsA large percentage of the U.S. population is afflicted with poor health, and unhealthy lifestyle behaviors are a primary driver. Poor health does not occur in a vacuum and impacts many other facets of an individual's life. The current study further demonstrates the potential detrimental impact of poor health on civic engagement, specifically participation in the electoral process (i.e, citizens' health may influence voter turnout). Health care professionals and institutions in the U.S. should uniformly embrace the recent policy brief by the American College of Physicians on participation in the electoral process for patients receiving care. This paradigm shift has the potential to substantially improve voter turnout during U.S. elections.

Political Education for Novice Voters to Increase Voter Participation in the Simultaneous Elections of 2024

Students in grade XI high school who are novice voters participated in the Community Service Program to address the following issues: (a) first-time voters who are still unsure about their voting responsibilities and the purpose of elections; (b) low voter participation rates in the 2020 Tuban district elections; (c) limited socialization to novice voters in preparation for the simultaneous elections in 2024; and (d) unstable novice voters, particularly those who are high school students, who still require political introduction and education. This Community Service activity aims to increase the voter participation rate of novice voters in Tuban district in the simultaneous elections of 2024. The Community Service activity uses the Participatory Action Research (PAR) method, which includes education, coaching, and awareness-raising for novice voters conducted through direct presentations and Q&amp;A sessions with grade XI students at SMAN 1 Grabagan and MAN 1 Tuban. The result of this Community Service activity is an increase in the participation rate of novice voters in Tuban district in the simultaneous elections of 2024.

Voting propensity and parental depression

Among the most prevalent and costly of all illnesses worldwide, depression also has substantive consequences for democratic politics, not least because it is associated with lower voting propensity. One of the most reliable predictors of becoming depressed is a family history of depression, an intergenerational link thought to arise through multiple mechanisms that increase a person's cognitive, behavioural and affective disposition towards depression. We study if a person's voting propensity in adulthood is predicted by their parents' depressive symptomatology during early childhood and whether this is mediated by the likelihood of being depressed in adulthood. We analyse the 1970 British Cohort Study in which persons belonging to a same cohort have been systematically followed from early childhood to midlife. The results show that parents' symptoms of depression predict offspring's voting propensity, especially earlier in adulthood, although the effect is relatively small. Contrary to predictions, the effect is mostly direct.

E Voting System using Blockchain

Voting in a democratic manner is extremely important in all countries. However, there are problems with transparency, low voter turnout, and security with conventional voting techniques such as ballot papers and electronic voting machines. The adoption of digital voting systems depends on security, which guarantees defense against data breaches and cyberattacks, particularly during crucial decision-making processes.

Public opinion on reforming U.S. primaries

AbstractObjectiveFew studies have measured public attitudes about reform proposals for changing direct primaries. Despite strong public support over the past century for holding primaries, does the public want to change the direct primary, given its very low voter turnout and its potential role in fostering political polarization?MethodUsing a unique nationally representative survey of 3000 U.S. adults conducted in March 2023 by YouGov, this study shows that a majority of Americans support reform of primary elections.ResultsThe reforms which receive the greatest support are those that seem more “democratic” such as establishing national congressional primary and holding open primaries. There is lower support for reforms that give political parties more control over selecting candidates, such as state party conventions. There are significant differences between Republicans, Democrats, and independents, while factors such as interest, education, gender, and race have a minimal impact. Individuals living in states with nonpartisan primaries are more favorable toward this specific reform, ranked‐choice voting, and open primaries, but primary type was not significant in regression models.ConclusionsThe public is opposed to reforms that give parties more say in choosing candidates, consistent with public sentiment a century earlier when the direct primary was adopted.

About the published content on each section

About the published content on each section

Female Candidates’ Incumbency and Quality (Dis)Advantage in Local Elections

ABSTRACT As springboards to higher office we need to better understand women’s electoral success at lower-level offices to eliminate the gender gap among elected officials in the United States. To help understand women’s success as local candidates, we ask: is there a difference in electoral performance between men and women with political experience who run for local office? We use an aggregate dataset of mayoral and city council elections in California between 2008 and 2015, focusing on two types of “quality” candidates – incumbents and candidates with previous elected experience. We found that female incumbents and female candidates with previous elected experience garner lower vote shares than their male counterparts, and these patterns are more pronounced in big city elections accounting for campaign financing. Despite the presumption that women do better than men in lower-level offices, male candidates get a bigger boost from incumbency and previous elected experience than female candidates.

The Anglophone Crisis and Low Voter Turnout in Anglophone Cameroon in the 2018 Presidential Elections

The international political system has radically changed in the last three decade. During this era the global political system has witnessed the enfranchisement of more voters across geographical, racial and socio-economic boundaries than ever before. With the growing trend of democracy, voter turnouts keep fluctuating. Since the return of multiparty elections in 1990, Cameroon has been experiencing a downward trend in voter turnout. With voter apathy being on the rise in Cameroon, the 2018 Presidential elections were no different nationally, but it was more glaring in the Anglophone regions with extremely low turnout. The presidential elections coincided with the onset of the Cameroonian civil war in Anglophone Cameroon, with separatist fighters and the Cameroon government forces fighting over the self-determination and political future of Anglophone Cameroon. This study sought to ascertain the link between the Anglophone crisis and the low voter turnout in the Anglophone regions. The study relied on both primary and secondary data sources. Primary data sources will mainly be gotten through telephone interviews and personal observations. Secondary data from books, journal article, newspapers, reports and possible interviews on election issues in Cameroon. Findings show that the Anglophone crisis and separatist threats played a role in low voter turnout, alongside voting age and voter disillusionment. The low voter turnout in the Anglophone regions creates a question of legitimacy of those elections and it is recommended that a resolution of the conflict would help improve the situation of voter apathy in Anglophone Cameroon ahead of the upcoming 2025 Presidential and 2026 Municipal and parliamentary Elections.

A Comparative Analysis of Centralized and Decentralized Developer Autonomous Organizations Managing Conflicts in Discussing External Crises

Understanding whether and how online developer communities resolve conflicts that occur in discussions is critical. Few studies focused on the conflicts caused by external crises, such as geopolitical events (e.g., the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian Crisis). We comparatively studied how a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO), Aave project community, and a centralized autonomous organization (CAO), GitHub project community, managed external crises caused by conflicts. Our mixed-method analysis showed that a DAO could be better than a CAO for mitigating conflicts. And blockchain technologies (i.e., voting and cryptocurrency) played vital roles. To address the low voter turnout, we proposed adding a monetary incentive to engage more DAO members in forming common goals.

Digital-based Political Education through the Election Care Village Program in Deli Serdang Regency

The General Election Commission of the Republic of Indonesia established Desa Peduli Pemilu dan Pemilihan (DP3) to increase knowledge skills and strengthen public acceptance and trust in the election mechanism as the main instrument of the political system. The low voter turnout in Deli Serdang Regency is the reason for the KPU of North Sumatra Province to focus the program on Bandar Khalipah Village and Tembung Village. Observation results show the usefulness of the Desa Peduli Pemilu dan Pemilihan program as a projection to increase voter participation in 2024. Therefore, this service activity was carried out to provide an understanding of Digital-Based Political Education through the Election and Election Care Village Programme in Deli Serdang Regency by involving Bandar Khalipah Village and Tembung Village. The method used is a combination of Participatory Rural Appraisal and Participatory Learning and Action through three stages, namely Preparation, Implementation, and Evaluation. Firstly, this service activity was carried out together with DP3 with Bandar Khalipah Village and Tembung Village, which included learning about political education. Second, increasing understanding of the development of socialization and political education for citizens and increasing voter participation in Deli Serdang Regency; and third, assisting in digital content creation training. The results of this service recommend that activity participants be able to transform the understanding of political education to increase voter participation in Deli Serdang Regency. This service also suggests that the coaching and mentoring of digital content creation training be used in the long term by Bandar Khalipah Village and Tembung Village.

Ensuring Equitable Access to Participation in the Electoral Process: A Policy Brief From the American College of Physicians.

During the past 2 decades, voter turnout in U.S. presidential elections has ranged from 51.7% to 66.9% of the eligible population. Low voter turnout rates and inequitable electoral institutions, such as gerrymandered districts, can skew policy decisions toward the preferences of a smaller group and further exclude individuals and communities who have been historically marginalized and excluded from decision-making processes. Voting and health are directly connected through the institution of policies by ballot initiative and the election of officials who incorporate health into their platforms. They are also indirectly connected, as civic participation connects persons to their community and empowers them with agency in decision making. In this position paper, the American College of Physicians seeks to inform physicians, medical students, and other health care professionals on the links between electoral processes and health; encourage civic participation; and offer policy recommendations to support safe and equitable access to electoral participation to advance health equity for both patients and health care professionals.

UNVEILING THE HIDDEN LINK: HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND VOTER TURNOUT IN BALOCHISTAN, PAKISTAN

The province of Balochistan in Pakistan provides an intriguing opportunity to analyze the complex correlation between human development and voter engagement. This study aims to determine if there is a direct relationship between the Human Development Index (HDI) and voter turnout in Balochistan. The study utilizes a quantitative research approach, analyzing data from the Human Development Index (HDI) and voter participation records for districts in Balochistan, Pakistan. The HDI data was acquired from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), whilst the voter turnout data was gathered from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The study's findings indicate no direct correlation between HDI and voter turnout. Some districts with low Human Development Index (HDI) values have a high voter turnout, whereas, on the other hand, certain districts with high HDI values have a low voter turnout. These findings indicate that other factors beyond HDI substantially influence voter turnout in Balochistan. Further research would be helpful to thoroughly understand the intricate relationship between HDI and voter turnout in Balochistan. These research efforts have the potential to find strategies that can increase voter turnout in the province.

European Parliament Elections Incentives for First-Time Voters: Evidence from the Secondary Schools

Summary The research deals with the phenomenon of low voter turnout in European Parliament elections. The article pays attention to young first-time voters who will encounter their first European Parliament elections in June 2024. It examines their attitude to polling in the context of school activities related to public affairs implemented in the school educational activities. Based on the qualitative survey conducted on pupils aged 17-18 attending secondary schools located in ten different member countries the research tackles the question whether the public secondary education may affect the incentives of first-time voters to cast their vote in the European Parliament elections. Consequently, the research focuses on the good practices and possible stimulus given by schools that may encourage to get to vote the representatives in the European Parliament. The outcomes of the research provide suggestions to enhance the formation of voting habits of young voters and increase their interest in both national and European public affairs.

Politik Uang pada Pemilihan Bupati dan Wakil Tahun 2020 di Kabupaten Mandailing Natal

This article aims to describe the process of vote buying and selling at 2 TPS in Kampung Baru Village and analyze the political relations of incumbent candidates in Kampung Baru Village. This research uses a qualitative descriptive approach with a case study method. The theories used are vote buying, patronage, and clientelism. The research results show that vote buying at 2 TPS in Kampung Baru Village stems from low voter participation. There were 216 voters who came to exercise their voting rights out of 872 voters. Seeing the low voter participation, the Head of Kampung Baru Village as the incumbent's success team asked the KPPS to vote on the remaining ballot papers. KPPS officers agreed and asked the incumbent's success team to discuss it with the PPS chairman of Kampung Baru Village. The results of the negotiations between the PPS chairman and the Village Head resulted in an agreement to buy and sell 400 votes in exchange for Rp. 30,000/ballot paper. The patronage relationship between incumbent candidates and KPPS and PPS officers in Kampung Baru Village occurs through the clientelism network of the Village Head as a liaison mediator who reconciles the political interests of the incumbent with the needs of the organizers. The implications of money politics on the integrity of the regional election organizers and results damage the image and good name of the institution, reduce public confidence in the election organizers and results, damage the quality of the democratic election process and results, disrupt the election implementation scheme and weaken the political legitimacy of the people.

Digital technology and democracy in Nigeria: a study of how technology is transforming elections without necessarily deepening democracy

ABSTRACT This article examines the role of digital technologies in deepening democracy in Nigeria. It argues that though technologies have considerably improved the transparency and credibility of electoral processes in Nigeria, democracy remains stunted and weak. Elections have been marred by high voter apathy and low voter turnout. Vote buying has emerged to replace old forms of electoral malpractices such as ballot stuffing, result sheet manipulations, multiple voting and hijacking of ballot boxes. Furthermore, many elections in which technologies were used still end up being seriously disputed. The article concludes that deepening democracy requires much more than improving the credibility of electoral processes. Mature democracies are characterised by popular participation, equality of votes and effective representation. Other essential components include an independent electoral umpire, a sound legal framework and the rule of law.

The Political Costs of Austerity

Abstract Using a novel regional database covering over 200 elections in several European countries, this paper provides new empirical evidence on the political consequences of fiscal consolidations. To identify exogenous reductions in regional public spending, we use a Bartik-type instrument that combines regional sensitivities to changes in national government expenditures with narrative national consolidation episodes. Fiscal consolidations lead to a significant increase in extreme parties' vote share, lower voter turnout, and a rise in political fragmentation. We highlight the close relationship between detrimental economic developments and voters' support for extreme parties by showing that austerity induces severe economic costs through lowering GDP, employment, private investment, and wages. Austerity-driven recessions amplify the political costs of economic downturns considerably by increasing distrust in the political environment.

The Voting Rights of Senior Citizens: Should all Votes Count the Same?

AbstractIn 1970, Stewart advocated disenfranchising everyone reaching retirement age or age 70, whichever was earlier. The question of whether senior citizens should be disenfranchised has recently come to the fore due to votes on issues such as Brexit and climate change. Indeed, there is a growing literature which argues that we should increase the voting power of non-senior citizens relative to senior citizens, for reasons having to do with intergenerational justice. Thus, it seems that there are reasons of justice to disenfranchise senior citizens, or at least to grant them a lower voting weight than non-senior citizens. In this paper, we investigate whether there are democratic reasons to do so. To answer this question, we turn to the boundary problem in democratic theory, i.e., the question of who should be included in democratic decision-making. Two prominent solutions, and a more recent one, are particularly relevant: the all-affected principle, the all-subjected principle, and the relational egalitarian principle. When it comes to the all-affected principle and the all-subjected principle, we argue that there is reason to grant most senior citizens a lower voting weight than most non-senior citizens in most decisions. Whether that is the case on the relational egalitarian principle depends on how people relate to each other in society. Indeed, it is sometimes in accordance with the relational egalitarian view to grant senior citizens a greater voting weight than non-senior citizens.