Love At First Vote: How Political Identity is (Ir)relevant in Romantic Relationships

In contemporary democracies marked by affective polarisation and partisan distrust, political identity increasingly spills beyond public arenas into the private sphere. While many scholars have explored the political effects of marriage, voting alignment between partners, or ideological homophily in dating preferences, less is known about how individuals themselves experience, interpret, or negotiate political identity within romantic relationships. This paper examines when and how political identity becomes salient in romantic relationships, and under what conditions it is instead downplayed, ignored, or treated as irrelevant in everyday couple interactions. The study uses semi-structured interviews with participants from diverse backgrounds, including LGBTQ+ individuals and those across dating, cohabitation, and marriage stages in the UK. Thematic analysis is used to explore how participants narrate the presence or absence of political identity in their relationship histories. Particular attention is given to how depoliticisation is performed: Is silence a form of avoidance, self-protection, or care. When political identity emerges, it is important to understand whether this happens through public disagreement, subtle cues, or shared moral values. By foregrounding subjective meaning and emotional context, this paper contributes to rethinking democratic citizenship not only in terms of formal participation but as an everyday and relational practice. It challenges dichotomies between public and private, and calls for more attention to the intimate life of political identity as a critical site for understanding democratic decline, polarisation, and the potential for civic renewal.