Voting behavior in mayoral election: A case study in Sibolga city, Indonesia

Adil Arifin; Fajar Utama Ritonga; Indra Fauzan

doi:10.31893/multiscience.2025419

Keywords:

Abstract

Political identity is not considered a threat in Indonesia's democratic climate, particularly in local politics (Regent/Mayor/Governor Elections). The role of political identities is inseparable from local politics. Campaign issues and political marketing strategies that emphasize "Political Identity" have been shown to influence electorate behavior positively and reduce the reliance on monetary incentives. This study aims to assess the impact of tribal and religious-political identities on voter behavior in Sibolga City during the 2020 Mayoral Election. A survey method with a quantitative approach and correlation analysis was employed. The research was conducted in 4 subdistricts and 17 villages within Sibolga City, with a sample size of 399 participants. The findings indicate that the influence of religious political identities on voter behavior in the 2020 Sibolga Mayoral Election was 0.546. Additionally, the influence of tribal political identities on voter behavior was found to be 0.27, indicating a moderate impact. It was observed that religious political identities had a more significant influence than tribal identities in determining voter choices in Sibolga City's 2020 Mayoral Election.
References
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25. Stegmueller, D. (2013). Religion and Redistributive Voting in Western Europe. The Journal of Politics, 75(4), 1064–1076. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022381613001023
26. Sukmadinata, N. S. (2013). Metode Penelitian Pendidikan. PT Remaja Rosdakarya.
27. Syafuan, R., Noer, F., Gayatri, I. H., Pabottingi, M., & Widjojo, M. S. (2019). Politik identitas: Problematika dan paradigma solusi keetnisan versus keindonesiaan di Aceh, Riau, Bali dan Papua. Bumi Aksara. https://opac.perpusnas.go.id/DetailOpac.aspx?id=1281360
28. Temby, Q. (2010). Imagining an Islamic State in Indonesia: From Darul Islam to Jemaah Islamiyah. Indonesia, 89, 1–36.
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30. Wisnu, D. (2019). Populisme, Polititk Identitas dan Erosi Demokrasi Di Abad Ke 21 (Refleksi Dari Forum Masyarkat Sipil dan Media Bali 2018). Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Kantor Perwakilan Indonesia.
31. Zeedan, R. (2024). Social Identity and Voting Behavior in a Deeply Divided Society: The Case of Israel. Societies, 14(9), 177. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14090177

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to cite

Arifin, A., Ritonga, F. U., & Fauzan, I. (2025). Voting behavior in mayoral election: A case study in Sibolga city, Indonesia. Multidisciplinary Science Journal, 7(8), 2025419. https://doi.org/10.31893/multiscience.2025419

[1] Ahmad, I. (2023). Sub-Ethnic Identity as a Determinant of Voting Behavior: The Case of Booni, Upper Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4330411

[2] Arifin, A., & Ritonga, F. U. (2020). The Influence of Political Identity Towards Tolerance Peoples in Pematangsiantar City During the Governors Sumatera Utara Election In 2018. Conference: International Conference on Multidisciplinary Approaches in Social Sciences, Islamic and Technology 2020 (ICMASIT 2020),. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HV4jPXnWhC3agJVib3ojNRkJr2fFCBNd/view?usp=sharing

[3] Barton, G. (2005). Jemaah Islamiyah :Radical Islam In Indonesia. Singapore University Press.

[4] Budi, A. (2024). Does Religious Identity Moderate Economic Voting? Evidence from Indonesia. Muslim Politics Review, 3(1), 4–43. https://doi.org/10.56529/mpr.v3i1.246

[5] Castells, M. (2010). The Power of Identity. Wiley-Blackwell.

[6] Chen, D. Y. (1997). The choice of executive-legislative relations in Spain and the ROC: Democratization, institutionalization and leadership (Dissertation). University of Rochester, New York.

[7] Chen, S. Y., & Urminsky, O. (2019). The role of causal beliefs in political identity and voting. Cognition, 188, 27–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2019.01.003

[8] Creswell, J. W. (2018). Qualitative Inquiry & Research Design—Choosing among Five Approaches (4nd Edition). Sage Publications.

[9] Daulay, S. M. (2019). Politik Identitas pada Pemilihan Gubernur Sumatera Utara Tahun 2018. Jurnal Administrasi Publik : Public Admnistration Journal, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.31289/jap.v9i1.2230

[10] Efriza. (2012). Political Explore, Sebuah Kajian Ilmu Politik. Alphabeta.

[11] Hall, S. (2005). “Who Need ‘Identity’?” dalam Identity: A Reader (Gai, Paul Du. Evans, Jessica. dan Redman, Peter (ed)). Sage Publications.

[12] Hirschl, T. A., Booth, J. G., & Glenna, L. L. (2009). The Link Between Voter Choice and Religious Identity in Contemporary Society: Bringing Classical Theory Back In*. Social Science Quarterly, 90(4), 927–944. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6237.2009.00670.x

[13] Hirschl, T. A., Booth, J. G., Glenna, L. L., & Green, B. Q. (2012). Politics, Religion, and Society: Is The United States Experiencing a. Review of European Studies, 4(4), 95–109. https://doi.org/10.5539/res.v4n4p95

[14] Irfan. (2020). Orang Batak dan Urang Pasisi di Sibolga: Suatu Kajian Tentang Politik Identitas Pada Pemilihan Walikota Sibolga Periode 2015-2020 [Disertasi]. Departemen Antropologi Sosial: Universitas Indonesia.

[15] Kolig, E. (2005). Radical Islam, Islamic Fervour, and Political Sentiments in Central Java, Indonesia. European Journal of East Asian Studies, 4(1), 55–86.

[16] KPUD Sibolga. (2020). Rekapitulasi Hasil Penghitungan Suara Tingkat Kota Sibolga. ttps://kpu-sibolgakota.go.id/pengumuman-hasil-rekapitulasi-suara-tingkat-kota-sibolga

[17] Liddle, R. W. (2000). Indonesia in 1999: Democrazy Restored Asian Survey XI (1, January/February).

[18] Mujani, S., & Liddle, R. W. (2009). Muslim Indonesia’s Secular Democracy. Asian Survey, 49(4), 575–590. https://doi.org/10.1525/as.2009.49.4.575

[19] Neuman, W. L. (2006). Social Research Methode: Qualitative and Quantitative Approach (Sixth Edition). Allyn & Bacon.

[20] Padmi, M. F., & Ningrum, M. A. (2022). Politik Identitas dan Gerakan Black Lives Matter dalam Kampanye Politik Joe Biden – Kamala Harris pada Pemilu Amerika Serikat Tahun 2020. Global Insight Journal: Program Studi Ilmu Hubungan Internasional, 7(1). https://journal.uta45jakarta.ac.id/index.php/GIJ/article/view/5661

[21] Panggabean, A. (1995). Bunga Rampai Tapian Nauli Sibolga-Indonesia. Tapian Nauli – Tujuh Sekawan.

[22] Putra, A. E. (2019). Populisme Islam: Tantangan atau Ancaman bagi Indonesia? Jurnal Tapis: Jurnal Teropong Aspirasi Politik Islam, 15(2), 218–227.

[23] Rabasa, A., & Haseman, J. (2002). Communal conflict in eastern and central Indonesia. The Military and Democracy in Indonesia (Rand Corporation).

[24] Sugiyono. (2017). Qualitative Research Methods, Quantitative and R&D. ALPHABETA.

[25] Stegmueller, D. (2013). Religion and Redistributive Voting in Western Europe. The Journal of Politics, 75(4), 1064–1076. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022381613001023

[26] Sukmadinata, N. S. (2013). Metode Penelitian Pendidikan. PT Remaja Rosdakarya.

[27] Syafuan, R., Noer, F., Gayatri, I. H., Pabottingi, M., & Widjojo, M. S. (2019). Politik identitas: Problematika dan paradigma solusi keetnisan versus keindonesiaan di Aceh, Riau, Bali dan Papua. Bumi Aksara. https://opac.perpusnas.go.id/DetailOpac.aspx?id=1281360

[28] Temby, Q. (2010). Imagining an Islamic State in Indonesia: From Darul Islam to Jemaah Islamiyah. Indonesia, 89, 1–36.

[29] Tengku, L. S. (1981). Lintasan Sejarah Sibolga dan Pantai Barat Sumatera Utara: Harian Waspada.

[30] Wisnu, D. (2019). Populisme, Polititk Identitas dan Erosi Demokrasi Di Abad Ke 21 (Refleksi Dari Forum Masyarkat Sipil dan Media Bali 2018). Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Kantor Perwakilan Indonesia.

[31] Zeedan, R. (2024). Social Identity and Voting Behavior in a Deeply Divided Society: The Case of Israel. Societies, 14(9), 177. https://doi.org/10.3390/soc14090177

Abstract

References

How to cite