'Correct Voting' at the Austrian general election 2008

In: Osterreichische Zeitschrift fur Politikwissenschaft, Heft 4, S. 373-390

Abstract

To date, little is known about how many and which citizens in Austrian general elections vote 'correctly' (that is, in a way that is congruent with their attitudes and preferences). This article investigates this matter, primarily focusing on whether and to what extent media consumption and coverage affected the likelihood of a 'correct' voting decision at the 2008 Austrian general election. The analyses demonstrate that only a small proportion of voters voted 'correctly'. Regarding the effects of media consumption and coverage it is shown that the consumption of specific media hinders 'correct voting', and this effect appears to be due to the 'one-dimensionality' of that media coverage. Adapted from the source document.