Influences on Voters

With presidential elections coming up in France and the States the public are being asked to cast their votes for the individual they think is the most suitable person to run those countries.

At a glance it seems a simple choice. What is each candidate offering and how likely are they to deliver?

However, there are factors which are hidden which impinge on the which way voters will make their choice. Firstly, while it may seem selfish, the average voter will be heavily influenced by how the cost of living affects the family finances. Trying to stay solvent yet have some leisure pleasures is the tricky balance most try to achieve. The citizens want employment to be able to buy necessities at a reasonable price and the opportunity to play. The difficulties of the current financial state of the world makes this an increasingly hard aim to achieve.

Another factor which will affect how votes are cast will be the political beliefs of the electorate. There is an element of blinkers being worn here. The inability to see the positive qualities and the potential to deliver the sort of economy people want in a candidate from a different political party is strong. For some it is impossible to vote for someone outside their political beliefs of the voter regardless of their qualities

The influence of religion is also strong. The religious leaders feel they have a right to make a statement about who is safe to vote for and who is not. Here no lessons from history have been learned. Europe has had horrendous problems in the past which caused a complete change of direction. The Reformation and the Henry VIII's decision to take the England out of the control of the Roman church are examples. Religious beliefs will affect voters decisions because some politicians are perceived to be able to follow the same path and some are not. Again the qualities and aims offered are ignored

Lastly, no one can vote knowing all they need to know. Politicians rarely make clear all their intentions and their ability to obfuscate and not answer questions seems to be a quality necessary for their work. What someone says on the hustings to gain popularity and votes might be somewhat different from what they really intend to do. Added to that, people form perceptions about the character of someone they only see on television and make their interpretation of that person's personality. Perhaps this is why there are so many misperceptions about the people who stand for election and the power it gives them.

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