Behavior and attitudes of non-party voters in presidential elections: the Brazilian case

o caso brasileiro

Abstract

This article analyzes the impact of non-partisan voters' preferences throughout the presidential elections, observing behavioral and attitudinal aspects. The electorate is segmented according to Russell Dalton's theory of cognitive mobilization (2013), which creates four electoral profiles, including two non-partisan, namely: non-partisan (high schooling and high interest in politics) and apolitical independent (opposed to previous). It is verified whether the change in the voting pattern affected the breaking of the PT-PSDB bipartisan pattern and whether the profile of the apolitical independent is more susceptible to anti-democratic and anti-systemic appeals. It is concluded that the break in the PT-PSDB pattern was not an unexpected rupture: the non-partisan voter vote was important for the result of the 2018 election and, therefore, for the victory of Jair Bolsonaro, especially among apolitical independents. In addition, it was demonstrated that anti-PTism had a strong influence on the result among non-partisans.