Tekijät

• Moring, Tom (University of Helsinki. Swedish School of Social Science)
• TNS Gallup Finland

Asiasanat

advertising, election campaigns, elections, parliamentary elections, political allegiance, political parties, television advertising, voting advice applications, voting behaviour

Sisällön kuvaus

The survey charts voting behaviour in the 2007 parliamentary elections, which were held just before the study was conducted. The survey was conducted as part of the "Changes in Finnish TV Election Campaigns" project. In addition, the survey was also part of the Political Participation and Modes of Democracy project funded by the Academy of Finland and led by professor Heikki Paloheimo.

First, the respondents were asked questions on candidate selectors / voting advice applications, for example which candidate selectors they had used and how many times, and what their experiences of and attitudes towards candidate selectors were. The respondents were also asked whether they had followed any programmes or seen any advertisements connected with the elections in various media, and what they thought about the election campaigns of different parties. Election advertising was further examined by asking which parties' or candidates' advertisements they had seen on TV, whether they considered political advertisements useful for the party they supported, and what their attitude towards political advertising on TV was.

In connection with the 2007 parliamentary elections, the respondents were asked whether they had voted, which party they had voted for and why, and which issues were important in making the voting decision. The respondents were also asked to state at which point they had made their voting decision, which one they chose first: political party or candidate, which factors influenced their choice of candidate, and from which information sources they had received information concerning their decision. Further questions pertained to the campaigns organised before the elections by the Ministry of Justice and the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions (SAK). The purpose of these campaigns was to increase willingness to vote. The respondents were asked how they had received information on the campaigns, how they had affected the respondents, and what the respondents' attitudes towards the campaigns were. In addition, the effects of various political issues at the time of the elections (e.g. confusion over election funding, election advertising, and candidates' performances on TV) on the party the respondents supported were surveyed. Those who had abstained from voting were asked reasons for their abstention. In addition, they were asked which party they had voted for in the 2004 municipal elections, in the 2003 parliamentary elections, and in the second round of the last presidential elections. In conclusion, the respondents were asked which party would be the least unpleasant alternative for them.

Background variables included the respondent's age, gender, mother tongue, basic and vocational education, type of accommodation, occupational group, trade union membership, household annual gross income, region of residence, and number of children aged under 18 in the household.