By Charlotte Tybjerg Sørensen, AAU Communication and Public Affairs
Photo: Colourbox

"The 2022 parliamentary election is the election in my life where I had the most doubt... about EVERYTHING."

This is what a voter wrote in "My Election Diary", an app that election researcher Ditte Shamshiri-Petersen asked voters to fill out during the election campaign. The survey was qualitative in nature, and almost 200 voters wrote a total of 1800 posts during the election campaign.

"In the 2022 election diary project, we could see how doubt took form and how voters tried to overcome it. For many, uncertainty was a constant companion throughout the election campaign. For some, it even followed them all the way in – and out again – of the voting booth! Just because you have ticked a box does not mean that you are no longer have doubts," says Ditte Shamshiri-Petersen, Aalborg University.

At the beginning of the election, nearly two out of three voters were in doubt about what box to tick in 2022. The number has been increasing over the past decades.

"It is too lacking in nuance – and also wrong – to dismiss the late decision-making and party change as most voters lacking loyalty or being disengaged. For many, their doubt reflects a desire to make "the right choice". But it also reflects a political homelessness among many voters and the feeling that no one represents them," says Ditte Shamshiri-Petersen.

Write about your views on the election campaign, key events, and politicians

In order to follow the development over time, Ditte Shamshiri-Petersen will therefore once again ask voters to download an app "My Election Diary" and write an election diary for the next three weeks until the parliamentary election on 24 March.

"You will be able to write about your view of the election campaign, its events and the politicians you have opinions about. The individual writing the diary decides what they want to write about and how often," says Ditte Shamshiri-Petersen.

She hopes that many will answer the call to write an election diary, because it is important to gain knowledge about how voters experience and navigate politics. 

A constant stream of political messages

"We live in a time marked by war in Europe, the climate crisis and increasing geopolitical tensions. Political decisions can be experienced as more far-reaching and complex than before, while at the same time parties are shifting and voters are met by a constant stream of political messages. This also means that what happens in the election campaign is even more important. What the election campaign looks like in voters’ eyes and how it affects their attitudes and actions," says Ditte Shamshiri-Petersen.