The Factors Affecting Voter Behaviour in Local Elections Kocaeli Sample

Abstract

The aim of this study is to analyse, by taking into consideration the social values and needs, the factors affecting the voters' voting behaviours in the local elections. In the process of evaluating the voters' choices related to the candidate's positive and negative aspects, the impacts of the media messages, the election campaign, the candidate's ethnic origin, and the perceptions developed about the candidate's political party have been analysed; the influences of age, gender, education level, political identity, and socio-demographic effects have also been questioned. Using the sample from Kocaeli comprising 8594 individuals (2009 ANAR survey data collection), the singular characteristics of the candidate and the sentiments developed about the candidate's political party have been detected to have more dominant effects in the voters' choices. Meanwhile, the level of education has been discovered to be strengthening the voters' rational choices, leading them to make more insightful examinations of the candidate. Turkish voters are generally of conservative character, and in their political party preferences, a vast majority of voters’ side with the rightist/conservative parties. The party which consolidates conservative/islamist/nationalist center-right naturally gets ahead and takes the lead. Atatürkism keeps its position notably, yet liberalism, Kemalism, and ethnic nationalism find less support among the voters. The data shows that the candidate's reliability/honesty (85 %), his/her having close contact with the public (81 %), his/her experience (80 %), his/her projects and promises (80 %), his/her party (80 %), the campaign (53 %), media (40 %), origin (24 %), and the desire to punish the disliked (15%) are effective on the voters' preferences.