A research on political factors affecting voters' decision in local elections: A sample of Ankara

This research titled ?A Research on Political Factors Affecting Voters? Decision in Local Elections: A Sample of Ankara? have been made for the purpose of investigating effects of image of parties and candidates and sources of information. 546 people chosen by using random sampling method in three vicinity in the district of Altındağ, Çankaya, Keçiören, Mamak and Yenimahalle in Ankara included within the scope of the research.In the gathering of the research data was used face to face interview technique. The questionnaire form consisting of ?demographic information? about voters?, ?voters? views about candidate image?, ?voters? views about party image? and ?voters? views about sources of information?. Answers given to sentences typed Likert were scored, applied factor analysis and items with factor loadings less than 0.30 were deleted. In order to test reliability of questionnaire were calculated ?Cronbach Alpha? as inner consistency of coefficient.In this research, the t-test was performed for determining the differences dependent on gender and marital status variables between the voters opinions about party image, candidate image and sources of information. Moreover, One Way Anova was applied to determining the differences dependent on age, education status, district and political opinion variables between the voters? opinions about party image, candidate image and sources of information. In order to indicate differences between groups depending on Anavo, the Tukey test was carried out.According to demographic data analysis, ıt was found that 51.3% of voters were female and 48.7% of them were male. 41,2% of voters were 30 years old and younger than, 23.1% of them were between 31-39 years old, 18.1% of them between 40-49 years old and 17.6% of them were 50 years old or older than this. Research findings showed that 8.1% of voters were graduated from elementary school, 9.9% of them from secondary school, 43.4% of them from high school, 28.2% of them from university and 4% of them master degree. Voters have been declared that 3.1% of voters were illiterate and 3.3% of voters were not taken education but literate. Voters participated in the research have been declared that 16,8% of voters? income level were enough, 61% not enough, 22.2% were uncertain. Voters live in different towns in the manner that 11.2% in Altındağ, 29.9% in Çankaya, 22.5% in Keçiören, 15.8% in Mamak and 20.7% in Yenimahalle. When findings about political views were evaluated voters specified that 3.7% of them were liberal, 4.4% of them were democrat, 6.4% of them were secular, 15.2% of them were nationalist, 4.9% of them were socialist, 3.7% of them were Islamist, 29.7% of them were religious and 32.2% of them had no political views.The results of reaserch showed that voters opinions about party image, candidate image and sources of information were positive and statistically significant (p ? 0.05) according to marital status, education status, district and political opinion. Age variable was only significant on sources of information. Gender variable was not significant (p ? 0.05) on party image, candidate image and sources of information.In terms of voting decision of voters, when candidate image on local elections, party image and average scores intended on sources of information compared, candidate image scores (x:3,38) is higher than party image (x:3,35) and sources of information (x:3,26); but statistically big differences are not determined.Pearson Correlation analysis results shows that there is an important relation positively oriented and statistically between ?candidate image? with party image and sources of information; ?party image? with candidate image and sources of information; ?sources of information? with candidate image and party image.Key Words: Political Communication, local election, candidate image, party image, sources of information.