Voting behavior refers to how people decide how to vote, which is shaped by a complex interplay between an individual voters attitudes as well as social factors. Voter attitudes include personal and social biases, deeply held beliefs, personality, memory, emotions, and other psychological factors. There are several models of voter behavior that political scientists use to explain the different motivations of voters, including rational choice theory, retrospective voting, and bandwagon effect.
Voter decision-making is not a purely rational endeavor, but rather is profoundly influenced by personal and social biases and deeply held beliefs as well as characteristics such as personality, memory, emotions, and other psychological factors. Voting advice applications and avoidance of wasted votes through strategic voting can impact voting behavior. Voter behavior is often influenced by voter loyalty, and there is a correlation between voter satisfaction with what a political party has achieved and dealt with a situation and voters intention of voting for the same party again.
The information supplied to the voter is significant in understanding voting behavior. Partisan voting is also an important motive behind an individuals vote and can influence voting behavior. The various attitudes and orientations that influence voting behavior in presidential elections are interrelated, and understanding the interrelationships among these factors is important for a full understanding of voting behavior.
Trends in voting or abstention from voting have demonstrable statistical relationships with the socioeconomic characteristics of an electorate and the spatial context within which its political socialization has occurred. Among these are levels of income, age group, ethnicity, religious affiliation or beliefs, urbanization, and region.
In summary, voting behavior is a complex phenomenon that is influenced by a variety of factors, including personal attitudes, social biases, psychological factors, and socioeconomic characteristics. Political scientists use models of voter behavior to explain the different motivations of voters, and understanding the interrelationships among these factors is important for a full understanding of voting behavior.