Electoral abstention and information sources among undergraduate university students

Abstract

[EN] A quantitative research study was conducted to examine electoral abstention among undergraduate students in Valencia during Spain’s General Elections held in July 2023. Data were collected through a survey based on a questionnaire designed specifically for this purpose, focusing on the electoral behavior, socioeconomic and demographic profiles, and information sources. A multivariate statistic model was used to explain the likelihood of students non-voting. Key findings indicate that abstention it is not related to a demographic profile. However, a negative correlation with abstention was found among information sources such as party websites/social media, YouTube, printed press and TV, whereas a positive relationship was found with the use of blogs and forums.