Unveiling the Age Effect: Voter Preferences, Party Responses, and Youth Representation in Latvian Politics

This article examines the interplay between candidate age, voter preferences, and party response to them in Latvia's political landscape. The study utilizes original data from Latvian parliamentary elections spanning 2014 to 2022, focusing on the impact of preference voting on party nomination strategies. By analyzing how parties respond to voters by allocating ballot list positions in the subsequent elections, findings reveal that parties promote candidates based on positive preference votes and relative likeability. Controversially, parties also reward negative preference votes. An age effect emerges between under the age of 40 and over 40 groups for positive preference votes and relative likeability in favor of the young. However, findings do not detect an age effect for negative preference votes, suggesting parties are reluctant to penalize older politicians despite voter dislike against them. This study offers a novel perspective on how party and voter dynamics may contribute to youth representation, expanding our understanding of candidate selection and political promotion processes.