Abstract

Research on electoral behaviour focuses mainly on positive voting – in support of a certain candidate – since constituents primarily cast their votes to show approval. However, another behaviour which has become one of the permanent topics in pre-electoral debates is the concept of choosing the lesser evil. This means that a certain group of constituents vote to achieve a more preferable final result – to prevent the less desirable candidate from winning. This phenomenon, referred to as ‘negative voting’, ‘anti-candidate voting’, or ‘tactical voting’, occurs when a voter does not cast a vote in support of a certain candidate, but rather against his or her rival – according to the following principle: the victory of candidate X is not favourable, but politically easier to accept than candidate Y’s success. This article outlines the reasons behind negative voting, defines groups of voters who are more prone to casting negative votes, and discusses the scale of the phenomenon. It also describes three methods aimed at reducing negative motivation.