Investigating the Factors in Voter Persuasion During the 2025 Iraqi Parliamentary Elections

Abstract

This study assesses the role of Facebook in influencing voters’ opinions during political campaigns in Iraq. While various social networking sites have become increasingly common in election campaigns, only a limited number of studies have been conducted on the influence of Facebook in such contexts. The main objective of the study is to determine the effects of Facebook use, information quality, political interest, and social mobilization on voter persuasion, with political knowledge moderating these effects. The study draws on the Uses and Gratifications Theory, according to which people use media to satisfy their social and informational needs. A quantitative research methodology was used for the study, and a cross-sectional survey was conducted with 400 respondents. Data analysis involved the use of SPSS and SmartPLS 4 software. The results indicate that all Facebook-related independent variables play a significant role in voter persuasion. Among these variables, social mobilization was identified as the most important factor influencing voter persuasion. The model explains approximately 82.4% of the variation in voter persuasion (R^2=0.824). It was also found that political knowledge mediates the effect of social mobilization on voter persuasion; however, no such mediation was observed for the other variables. The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by focusing on voter persuasion rather than voter participation. From a practical perspective, it provides valuable insights for political campaigns regarding the roles of interactivity and credibility.