The week before elections: an analysis of the voting motivations based on national identity and political efficacy

This study aimed to analyze Brazilians' voting motivation, based on their national identification and perception of political efficacy, on the week before October 5th's national elections. 253 Brazilians (120 male and 133 female), aged between 18 and 69 years old (M = 20.27, SD = 13.01), participated in this research. Participants were volunteers, recruited by email and social networks. Results indicate that voting motivation is an outcome of a positive national identification, and that this relation is stronger among those who report higher levels of internal political efficacy. Moreover, voting motivation is also associated with a positive evaluation of the Brazilian President, and with a greater perception of external political efficacy. In general, these results allow for a better understanding of perceptions and motivations of Brazilian electorate, and suggest that voting participation is linked to a general climate of satisfaction and confidence.