Voting as a Civic Duty: Examining factors affecting Political Perception and Behavior of People in Dera Ghazi Khan Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

The study was designed to assess the political perception and political behavior of voters in Dera Ghazi Khan city through a cross sectional survey. Voting is a civic duty which refers to an action or process of indicating choice, opinion such as choosing a candidate, by some recognized mean, such as a ballot. The data was collected from 150 voters by using interview schedule who were selected through multistage sampling. The study found that people believed voting as a fundamental right and way to address social and economic issues, allowing individuals to raise voice in decision making processes and encouraging development of responsible citizenship. The participants usually engaged in political discussions and participated in civic organizations promoting voter engagement. Education was associated with awareness about electoral procedure and family monthly income was associated with participation in civic organization. The study suggested that education and awareness can increase the political participation of people.