Is it male chauvinism, party affiliation or political apathy? Gender-based preferential voting in Belgium

This contribution studies voters’ gender preferences for electoral candidates on the occasion of the 2009 regional elections in Belgium. The question is to what extent voters cast a preference vote for either male or female candidates, and how this preference can be explained. The results show that more than half of the group of voters expresses a clear gender preference, and this preference is often at the advantage of male candidates. Contrary to common assumptions, however, we find that differences in voters’ gender preferences can only partially be explained by voters’ own gender. The link between voters’ and candidates’ gender exists, but it is relatively weak and holds only for men. Much more important are voters’ access to political resources and party affiliation. Politically disengaged and rightwing voters display a clear preference for male candidates. Voting for female candidates expresses an informed choice made by higher educated voters