พฤติกรรมการเลือกพรรคอนาคตใหม่ของผู้มีสิทธิเลือกตั้งในเขตอำเภอเมือง จังหวัดลำปาง ในการเลือกตั้งทั่วไป พ.ศ. 2562

Abstract

This study aims at examining the determinants of voting behaviors in favor of the Future Forward Party and the kinds of media that affect such voting behaviors of the eligible voters in the Mueang District of Lampang Province. This is a mixed-methods research incorporating both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The study samples are 393 eligible voters, aged in the range of 18 – 29 years old and residing in 19 sub-districts of Lampang Province. Questionnaires and semi-structured interviews are used as tools for collecting information and data from the relevant key informants. The quantitative analysis is performed on the descriptive statistics including percentage, arithmetic mean, and standard deviation. The qualitative information from semi-structured interviews is summarized for descriptive presentation. The research findings reveal that the majority of the questionnaire respondents are characterized as female, aged 18 – 20, and students at the bachelor's degree level. These study samples who voted for the candidates from the Future Forward Party are the young eligible voters in the Mueang District of Lampang Province who also have easy access to various kinds of media. Most of them indicated they preferred using online channels over other kinds of media to receive political information because they generally spent 5 -10 hours per day using online media primarily Facebook. The general background and behaviors of the young eligible voters are thus considered compatible with the election campaign strategy of the Future Forward Party addressing the use of social media for political marketing purposes.

The results of the study of Future Forward Party selection behavior revealed that the media influenced Future Forward Party selection behavior of voters in Mueang District, Lampang Province. Behaviors that affect voting Overall, it was at the highest level. In descending order, they are: the personal expectation the qualification of the candidates, the election campaign strategy, the relationship and the party’s policies, and the party’s image. The concept of changing the conventional political process into a modern one that exploits a multitude of diverse social media channels and platforms to enable Thai youth to keep pace with the world and participate in the political process and affairs as well as the development of political marketing contents that are diverse and different from what have done by other political parties. In essence, the political marketing and promotion by the Future Forward Party that made the party known widely can be attributable to the competency of the party leader and the use of social media; and all these create trust and become important voting behavior determinants of eligible voters to vote for this party.