Voters’ Decision-Making in Members of House of Representatives’ Election in Constituency 1, Roi Et Province

Abstract

         The objectives of this research to 1) examine the level of Voters’ Decision-Making in Members of House of Representatives’ Election in Constituency 1, Roi Et Province. 2) study the factors affecting the people’s Voters’ Decision-Making in Members of House of Representatives’ Election in Constituency 1, Roi Et Province; and 3) investigate recommendations regarding Voters’ Decision-Making in Members of House of Representatives’ Election in Constituency 1, Roi Et Province. The sample consisted of 399 people aged 18 years and over. The research instrument used for data collection was a five-point rating scale questionnaire. The statistical methods used for data analysis included frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, Pearson’s product–moment correlation coefficient, and content analysis.

         The results show that: 1) Overall, the people’s Voters’ Decision-Making in Members of House of Representatives’ Election in Constituency 1 was at a high level. When ranked from the highest to the lowest mean scores, the dimensions were political party identity, candidate evaluation, stance on key issues, emotions and intuition, and the lowest mean score was found in rationality and analytical reasoning, respectively. 2) The factors affecting the people’s decision-making in the election of Members of Parliament, both overall and by dimension, were at a high level. Ranked from the highest to the lowest mean scores, these factors were candidate qualifications and performance, political party policies of the candidate, campaign strategies, and political party affiliation of the candidate, respectively. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the people’s decision-making in the election of Members of Parliament and the influencing factors showed a positive relationship at the overall level (r = 0.683), which was statistically significant at the .01 level. 3) Recommendations regarding the people’s decision-making in the election of Members of Parliament indicated that the identity and image of political parties have a direct influence on voters’ electoral decisions. Candidates should affiliate with political parties that align with their voter base and clearly articulate their positions on key public issues. Both party identity and clear policy stances enhance credibility and increase the likelihood of winning the election.