Rationality and Emotions: How Anxiety Affects Strategic Voting by Delia Dumitrescu Canada Research Chair in Electoral Studies Université de Montréal delia.dumitrescu@umontreal.ca and André Blais Canada Research Chair in Electoral Studies Université de Montréal andre.blais@umontreal.ca November 22, 2010 Abstract We study when people decide to vote strategically in emotionally-charged elections, by means of an original experiment. Over a series of five elections on the internet, participants must decide how much money should be given to an environmental NGO, using a first-past-the-post rule. We find that supporters of the party which gives most to the NGO are reluctant to abandon it, despite its lack of electoral viability. Voting behavior is influenced by strategic considerations and by ǀoteƌs’ leǀels of anxiety at the decision making moment. Greater anxiety makes environmental party supporters perceive its weak chances of winning more accurately. However, extreme anxiety has a paralyzing effect, making voters less likely to defect from their preferred choice despite being aware of its lack of viability.