Voting Behaviour
1. Meaning
Voting behaviour is also called electoral behaviour.
It is a type of political behaviour.
It refers to how voters behave during elections in a democratic political system.
In simple terms:
Voting behaviour studies how people vote
and why they vote in a particular way.
Simple Example
During an election:
Some people vote based on caste
Some vote based on religion
Some vote because they like a leader
Some vote based on government performance
Studying these reasons and patterns is called voting behaviour.
2. Definitions of Voting Behaviour
Plano and Riggs
Voting behaviour is a field of study that examines how people vote in elections and the reasons for their voting choices.
Simple meaning
It studies voting patterns
and why voters choose a particular candidate or party.
Gordon Marshall
Voting behaviour studies the factors that determine why people vote in a certain way and how they make their decisions.
Simple meaning
It focuses on what influences the voter’s decision.
Example:
caste
religion
economic condition
party loyalty
Oinam Kulabidhu
Voting behaviour refers to the behaviour that shows the voter’s choices, preferences, ideologies, concerns, and opinions about issues related to society and the nation.
Simple meaning
When people vote, they express:
their beliefs
their priorities
their opinions about national issues
Example:
A voter may vote for a party because:
it supports farmers
it promises jobs
it supports secularism
Significance of Voting Behaviour
The scientific study of voting behaviour is called Psephology.
Meaning of Psephology
Psephology is a branch of political science.
It studies elections and voting patterns scientifically.
The term became popular due to American political scientists and political sociologists.
Origin of the Word
The word comes from the Greek word “Psephos”.
In ancient Greece, people used pieces of pottery to cast votes.
These pieces were used especially to vote for banishment of dangerous persons from the state.
Importance of Studying Voting Behaviour
The study of voting behaviour is important for the following reasons:
1. Helps to understand political socialisation
Political socialisation means how people develop political opinions and attitudes.
Example:
family influence
education
media
social groups
Voting behaviour shows how people develop political thinking.
2. Helps to understand how democracy becomes a value
It helps to examine whether democracy is accepted as an important value by:
political leaders
common people
Example:
If people actively vote in elections, it shows strong belief in democracy.
3. Shows the power of the ballot box
Elections allow people to change governments peacefully.
Example:
If voters are unhappy with a government, they can vote it out.
This shows the real power of voting in a democracy.
4. Helps to see whether politics continues old patterns
Voting behaviour helps to study whether political trends continue from the past or change over time.
Example:
Earlier people may have voted mainly based on caste
Today they may vote based on development
5. Helps to measure political development
Voting behaviour helps to see whether politics is based on:
Modern factors (development, policies, governance)
or
Primordial factors (caste, religion, ethnicity)
According to N.G.S. Kini
Voting behaviour can be understood in the following ways:
1. A method to legitimise democratic rule
Elections give legitimacy to the government.
Example:
If people elect a government through voting, it becomes a legitimate government.
2. A way of political participation
Voting allows people to participate in politics.
It integrates citizens into the political system.
Example:
When citizens vote, they become part of the political community.
3. A decision-making act
Voting is basically a decision made by the voter.
Example:
A voter decides between Party A and Party B.
4. A role based on political culture
Voting reflects the political attitudes and culture of society.
Example:
In some societies people vote based on ideology, in others based on community identity.
5. A direct relationship between citizens and government
Voting creates a direct link between citizens and the state.
Example:
Citizens choose who will govern them.
Determinants of Voting Behaviour
India is a highly diverse society. Because of this, voting behaviour is influenced by many factors.
These factors can be divided into two categories:
Socio-economic factors
Political factors
1. Caste
Caste is one of the most important factors influencing voting behaviour in India.
Politics and caste are closely connected.
Political parties consider caste composition of constituencies while selecting candidates.
Political scientist Rajni Kothari said:
"Indian politics is casteist and caste is politicised."
Explanation
Politics uses caste identities.
Caste groups organise politically.
Example
If a constituency has a large Yadav population, parties may:
select a Yadav candidate
promise policies benefiting that caste.
Paul Brass explained that in rural areas caste solidarity strongly influences voting behaviour.
2. Religion
Religion also strongly influences voting behaviour.
Political parties sometimes use religious sentiments to attract voters.
Some parties are based on religious identity.
Even though India is a secular country, religion still affects elections.
Example
Appeals to Hindu voters
Appeals to Muslim voters
Religious campaign speeches
3. Language
Language also affects voting behaviour.
Political parties sometimes mobilise voters based on linguistic identity.
Example
Formation of states on linguistic basis in 1956
Rise of regional parties based on language identity.
Examples of parties:
DMK in Tamil Nadu
TDP in Andhra Pradesh
These parties gained support due to linguistic pride and identity.
4. Region
Regionalism and sub-regionalism also influence voting behaviour.
Regional parties appeal to voters using regional identity and local issues.
Example
Parties focusing on state development
Parties promoting regional autonomy
Sometimes secessionist groups even call for election boycotts.
5. Personality of Leaders
The charismatic personality of leaders can strongly influence voters.
(Charisma means extraordinary leadership qualities that attract people.)
Examples of leaders whose personality influenced voters:
Jawaharlal Nehru
Indira Gandhi
Rajiv Gandhi
Jayaprakash Narayan
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Narendra Modi
At the state level also, strong regional leaders influence elections.
6. Money Power
Money plays a major role in elections.
Even though there are legal limits on election expenditure, large amounts of money are spent.
Sometimes voters receive:
money
liquor
goods
in exchange for votes.
This is often described as “votes exchanged for notes.”
However, money is less effective during wave elections.
Wave Election (Paul Brass Explanation)
A wave election occurs when:
a strong trend develops among voters
most voters move in one direction towards a party or leader.
This usually happens due to major national issues.
Example:
major political crisis
national security issues
strong public mood
In such situations, local factors like money or caste become less important.
7. Performance of the Ruling Party
Before elections, political parties release an election manifesto containing promises.
Voters judge the performance of the ruling party based on these promises.
If the government performs poorly, voters may vote against it.
This is called anti-incumbency.
Example
Defeat of Congress in 1977 elections
Defeat of Janata Party in 1980 elections
8. Party Identification
Some voters develop emotional attachment to a particular political party.
Such voters usually vote for the same party in every election, regardless of its performance.
Example:
A family always voting for one party for generations.
9. Ideology
Political ideology also influences voting behaviour.
Some voters support parties based on ideological beliefs.
Examples of ideologies:
communism
capitalism
democracy
secularism
decentralisation
patriotism
Example:
A person who strongly believes in socialism may vote for a left-wing party.
10. Other Factors Influencing Voting Behaviour
(i) Political events before elections
Examples:
war
assassination of a leader
corruption scandals
These events can change public opinion.
(ii) Economic conditions
Economic situation at election time influences voters.
Examples:
inflation
unemployment
food shortage
(iii) Factionalism
Factionalism means internal divisions within political parties.
This affects voting behaviour and election outcomes.
(iv) Candidate orientation
Voters also consider personal qualities of candidates, such as:
honesty
reputation
leadership ability
(v) Election campaign
Campaign strategies influence voters.
Examples:
rallies
advertisements
social media campaigns
(vi) Political family background
Candidates from well-known political families may get advantage.
Example:
voters trusting families with long political history.
(vii) Role of media
Media plays a major role in shaping voter opinions.
Examples:
television debates
newspapers
social media
political advertisements
