A field study on Malatya voter behaviour according to the difference between general and local elections: Battalgazi and Yeşilyurt district examples

Elections are crucial for democratic governments. Through elections, voters make a political choice. They select the individuals or parties that will govern them based on their political preferences. Voters determine who will govern them by casting their votes. Voting by the electorate is a political behavior. Voters decide on their political behavior based on their political culture. Political culture is learned through the process of political socialization. Political socialization is the process through which voters learn the society's political attitudes, values, and behaviors toward political phenomena and events. Voters engage in voting behavior during election periods. The factors influencing voters in elections have always been a subject of curiosity. We can categorize the factors influencing voters into five main groups: personal and socioeconomic factors, socio-cultural factors, political factors, communicational factors, and situational factors. In Turkey, two types of elections are regularly held: general elections, which include the presidential and parliamentary elections, and local elections, such as municipal mayors, council members, provincial council members, and muhtar (neighborhood head) elections. This research focuses on identifying the factors that affect Malatya's voters in general and local elections through survey data collection techniques. According to the research findings, during general elections, Malatya's voters are primarily influenced by economic developments, the party's stance on democracy and human rights, political leaders, and political events. In local elections, the factors that influence Malatya's voters are economic developments, the candidate's experience, the candidate's past services, and the candidate's personality. Keywords; Voter, Voter Behavior, General Election, Local Election