Voting Behaviour

Meaning of voting behaviour

When we're looking at the meaning of voting behaviour, we're referring to studies surrounding the ways in which various individuals have a tendency to vote and this is of particular concern to political analysis and politicians. Voting behaviours can appear in a variety of categories.

For example, voting behaviours can take the form of the observation of a persistent pattern of elderly people voting for the Conservative Party, Scottish people primarily voting for the Scottish National Party or ethnic minorities largely voting for the Labour Party. Or even why some people vote Labour in one election and Conservative the next. By undertaking a study of why the aforementioned people vote the way they do, the presence of particular voting behaviours can be established.

Importance of voting behaviour

The study of voting behaviour is of importance for a number of reasons. To predict future politics, patterns can be derived from analysing voting behaviours. It is possible to draw correlations between how satisfied people are with their government by looking at data about the number of people that voted in an election and who they voted for.

In addition, political scientists can identify why individuals vote for particular parties based on their voting behaviour and political parties can better predict who will vote for them in future elections when this data is shared with them. To gain the best electoral results in later elections, political parties will tailor their policies and communications with the electorate based on this knowledge.

Voting behaviours can also highlight underlying issues in the political sphere. For example, observing the presence of a difference in voting behaviours between the north and the south of England suggests a presence of a north-south divide, therefore acknowledging the north-south divide can be important to political parties due to the scope for region-specific policies which address the needs of the people from these regions.

Types of voting behaviours

There are two main types of voting behaviours, these are short-term and long-term voting behaviours.

Short-term voting behaviours refer to things that may affect voting behaviours for a shorter period of time. These are usually in relation to a single election and do not have an effect on voting in later elections, such as the public image of a particular candidate and how they present themselves.

Fig. 1 Portrait of Ed Miliband

Single issues also have short-term effects on voting behaviours, such as the current economic crisis or upcoming referendums.

Long-term voting behaviours are voting behaviours factors that affect the ways in which voters behave over a long period of time such as ethnicity, geography, or class.

Factors Affecting Voting Behaviour

There are a number of factors that affect voting behaviour, these can be individual or non-individual. It is important for political scientists, politicians and political parties to identify and understand which factors affect voting behaviour and why.

Individual Factors that affect voting behaviour

Let's take a look at some individual factors that affect voting behaviour. Some of the most important ones include, class, age, gender, and ethnicity.

Class

Historically, in the United Kingdom until the 1970s, voting behaviour and class were intrinsically linked. The Labour Party had traditionally catered to the political demands of the working class. This was highlighted through its close affiliation to trade unions. Those who worked in white-collar professions or belonged to the middle class often voted for the Conservative Party. This was before a process of class dealignment began taking place towards the end of the 20th century.

Fig. 2 Class disparities

Age

According to studies of voting behaviour, a general rule in the UK is that the younger an individual is, the more inclined they will be to vote for a party that leans more towards the left of the political spectrum. Conversely, as they age, more likely they are to vote for a right-leaning party.

The UK has an ageing population, which means that older generations are disproportionately represented as a total of the whole population. This impacts the way a political party will choose to campaign and the policies it chooses to adopt, as the older population are a significant proportion of voters. This is even more important because the younger you are, the less likely you are to vote.

Gender

Gender is another individual factor that influences voting behaviour, though the degree to which gender plays a role in what party individuals vote for has decreased over time. Today, there are only slight biases of male voters towards the Conservatives and women voters towards the Labour Party.

There are, however, two main party issues that are affected by a difference in voting behaviours between men and women. These are the party's stances on war and nuclear power. Men often vote for parties that prioritise these issues, whereas generally speaking women vote for parties that prioritise education and health.

Ethnicity

Ethnic minorities in the UK are still largely working class and are more likely to vote for a left-leaning party, as seen with the Labour Party, who receives a large proportion of votes from ethnic minorities. This is paired with the fact that historically, the Conservative Party has not had good relations with ethnic communities in the UK.

Other factors that affect voting behaviour

Other non-individual factors which can affect voting behaviour include region and party policy.

Region - The region a voter resides in has also proved to be an influential factor in voting behaviours and is often linked to the effects of class, which is a factor discussed above. The north of England and Wales are significantly poorer than the south of England. In the south of England, there's a stronger bias towards the Conservative Party, whereas in the north a higher percentage of support for the Labour Party can be found.

Party Policy - Party policies also affect voting behaviours, an individual aligns themselves with parties whose policies most cater to their own needs. As well as party policies, political campaigns are also important factors that affect voting behaviours. Oftentimes, political parties will focus their efforts on launching a campaign on a topic they know is important to voters or will garner a large amount of support from voters.

Theories of Voting behaviour

When people vote, what is most important to them is often a driving force for how they choose to vote, regardless of societal factors. To explain how voting decisions are made, there are three theories of voting behaviour. These are rational choice, issue voting, and valance issues.

Rational choice theory is a theory used to explain voting behaviours and discounts such as the previously mentioned factors such as ethnicity, age and class. The rational choice theory suggests that voting behaviour is based on rational decisions. Individuals logically and rationally compare party manifestos, policies and party records in order to decide which party or candidate to vote for.

Therefore, rational choice theory this theory suggests that party policies play the largest role when it comes to voting behaviours. This theory is widely contested, and it is generally accepted amongst political scientists that whilst some voters may rationally assess political candidates in order to decide on whom to vote for, other factors also have an impact on their voting decisions.

Fig. 3 Rational or Irrational choices

Issue voting and valence issues are also included within theories of voting behaviour and are believed to be integral components when it comes to voting behaviours.