TY - JOUR

T1 - Probing the effect of candidate localness in low-information elections

T2 - Evidence from the German local level

AU - Velimsky, Jan A.

AU - Block, Sebastian

AU - Gross, Martin

AU - Nyhuis, Dominic

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2023.

PY - 2024/8

Y1 - 2024/8

N2 - Candidates with local ties perform better than their rivals without such attachments. We focus on the underlying mechanism of the localness effect and hypothesise that voters prefer local candidates for instrumental reasons, expecting better representation, and for reasons of a shared place identity. To test these expectations, we rely on the unusually detailed ballot for local elections in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Using multi-level regressions of the electoral results of 6503 candidates running in 21 cities in 2014, we confirm the importance of candidate localness for electoral success in low-information elections. Furthermore, we provide insights into the mechanisms behind this relationship. While instrumental motivations are independent of the composition of the electorate, a large share of elderly voters amplifies the identity effect, whereas many young voters, a high residential mobility, and a high population density diminishes this effect.

AB - Candidates with local ties perform better than their rivals without such attachments. We focus on the underlying mechanism of the localness effect and hypothesise that voters prefer local candidates for instrumental reasons, expecting better representation, and for reasons of a shared place identity. To test these expectations, we rely on the unusually detailed ballot for local elections in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Using multi-level regressions of the electoral results of 6503 candidates running in 21 cities in 2014, we confirm the importance of candidate localness for electoral success in low-information elections. Furthermore, we provide insights into the mechanisms behind this relationship. While instrumental motivations are independent of the composition of the electorate, a large share of elderly voters amplifies the identity effect, whereas many young voters, a high residential mobility, and a high population density diminishes this effect.

KW - birthplace

KW - candidate localness

KW - Germany

KW - local elections

KW - place of residence

KW - voting behaviour

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85163010615&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/00323217231173505

DO - 10.1177/00323217231173505

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85163010615

VL - 72

SP - 1090

EP - 1111

JO - Political Studies

JF - Political Studies

SN - 0032-3217

IS - 3

ER -