Comparative analysis of the factors influencing voting behavior during the 10th and 11th parliamentary elections (case study: electoral district of Qasr-e Shirin, Sarpol-e Zahab, and Gilan-e Gharb)

Document Type : Article extracted From phd dissertation

Authors
Mojtaba Mahdikhani Gilani 1
Bakhshayesh Ardestani Ahmed 2
Mohammad Rahim Ayouzi 3
Dydokht Sadeghi Haghighi 4
1 Ph,D student, Department of Political Science, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Professor, Group of Political Sciences, One Daneshgah Azad Islamic Center, Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
3 Professor, Department of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
4 Assistant Professor, Department of International Relations, Central Islamic Azad University of Tehran.
10.22034/he.2025.534909.1122
Abstract
The present study aims to conduct a comparative and qualitative analysis of the factors affecting voting behavior in the tenth and eleventh periods of the Islamic Consultative Assembly elections, focusing on the constituencies of Qasr-e-Shirin, Sar-e-Pul-Zahab, and Gilan-e-Gharb. This is the first research work in this field, and by utilizing the qualitative content analysis approach and using MaxQDA software, it examined the views of 30 local elites on the factors of tribal-tribal, religious, county-based, political-faction, and economic divisions. The findings indicate that these factors have been effective in both periods, but except for the religious factor, which shows a decreasing trend in the eleventh period, other factors have had an increasing trend compared to the tenth period. Overall, the data indicate that the electoral behavior of citizens in this area in both periods has been less subject to program-oriented indicators and is more affected by informal mechanisms, identity networks, and livelihood interests. A comparative analysis of changes in the gaps indicates that over time, voters' tendency to act on political culture has decreased and voting has been shaped in informal and identity contexts. This research emphasizes the need to review previous theories of voting and the need to develop indigenous models in analyzing political behavior in this region and the surrounding areas of Iran.

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Human Ecology
Volume 4, Issue 13
Winter 2026
Pages 1660-1678