Voting behavior in the first round of regional elections in France 2021
In the first round of the 2021 regional elections in France, 44 percent of voters did so out of support for a party whose candidates, ideas, or proposals they found convincing. In contrast, nearly a third voted in a matter described as "useful" voting, i.e. voting for a party despite being unconvinced by their candidates, ideas or policies.
The useful vote consists of giving up one's heartfelt vote to select a candidate who appears to be both more likely to win and the least distant from one's political preferences. This type of vote is conditioned by the forecasts of a given result, and thus corresponds to what can be called a "least bad" logic. This phenomenon tends to result in a realignment of voters who prefer minority parties whose victory is unlikely, to government parties that are less in line with their preferences.
The useful vote consists of giving up one's heartfelt vote to select a candidate who appears to be both more likely to win and the least distant from one's political preferences. This type of vote is conditioned by the forecasts of a given result, and thus corresponds to what can be called a "least bad" logic. This phenomenon tends to result in a realignment of voters who prefer minority parties whose victory is unlikely, to government parties that are less in line with their preferences.
