This paper examines the role of emotions in elections. We argue that the emotions people feel in relation to political actors act as an important moderator in the electoral process, influencing the extent to which voters rely on party identification vis-à-vis issue proximity considerations. In other words, emotions can be seen as an important “switch mechanism” between the two dominant models of vote choice: the socio-psychological Michigan model, which emphasizes the importance of party identification, and the rational choice model that focuses on the spatial proximity between voter and party issue positions. More specifically, we hypothesize that voters who are enthusiastic about their preferred party, or experience anxiety or anger in relation to an out-party, are more likely to vote on the basis of party identification. On the other hand, anxiety or anger experienced in relation to one’s preferred party will lead the voter to act as a homo politicus: to search for information and employ issue proximity considerations. To test these propositions, we have conducted a laboratory experiment, using the Dynamic Process Tracing Environment software, developed by Redlawsk and Lau. The experiment was conducted using a sample of the British population in the context of the 2010 general elections in the UK. This experimental setup allows us to examine the role of emotions in the electoral process in a fully controlled environment, and thus offers a distinctive contribution to our understanding of the psychological mechanisms that drive vote choice. This study also aims to contribute to the emerging literature on the effect of emotions on political behavior and addresses the issue of the effects of electoral campaigns in Britain.
