Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews eISSN: 2395-6518, Vol 9, No 2, 2021, pp 14-24 https://doi.org/10.18510/hssr.2021.922 14|https://giapjournals.com/hssr/index © Said et al. THE IMPACT OF RELIGION ON VOTING BEHAVIOR Mian Gul Said 1* , Aziz Ur Rahman 2 , Musab Yousufi 3 1* Assistant Professor, Government College, Daggar, Buneer KP, Pakistan; 2 Assistant Professor, Department of IR & Political Science, Qurtuba University, Peshawar KP, Pakistan; 3 Assistant Professor, Riphah Institute of Public Policy, Riphah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan. Email: 1* mgsaid80@gmail.com, 2 aziz@qurtuba.edu.pk, 3 musab_yousufi@live.com/musab.yousufi@riphah.edu.pk Article History: Received on 7 th January 2021, Revised on 2 nd March 2021, Published on 08 th March 2021 Abstract Purpose: This study investigates the influence of religion on the voting behavior of the electorates of district Buner of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the 2013 general elections. The study empirically reveals the inclination of the people while considering religion as a determinant of voting behavior. Methodology: Data for this work has been collected through a personally administered structured questionnaire. A sample representative size of 385 respondents was selected through a multi-stage-sample-method in a survey. SPSS (Statistical package for social sciences) version 21 has been used for the determination of P-value through the Chi-Square test. Results: This investigation contended that voters consider religion as a significant determinant of voting behavior. They also support the participation of Ulama (religious scholars) in politics. Further, the study discovered that the majority of the electorates do not keep the religious affairs of the candidate in mind while making their choices. On polling day, the role of religion does not significantly affect the preferences of the people. Applications: Results of the study shows that religion and voting behavior are interrelated. While analyzing electoral politics and voting choices, it is pertinent to consider the religion of the electorates. Novelty/Originality: Electorates favor the role of religion in politics, but on polling day, majority voters do not care about religion. Keywords: Voting Behavior, Elections, Religion, Electoral Politics, Chi-Square Test. INTRODUCTION Political participation is a fundamental human right throughout the world. Each person may take part in state affairs directly or indirectly. Based on the universal adult franchise, individuals express their assent through regular elections (Minority right group international, 2015) . In democratic social orders, individuals choose their leaders to run the administration of the state. Voting offers an occasion for the electorates to perform the responsible job in the matters of the state. For political participation, using the choice to cast a vote in an election is the most recognized method (Flanigan, 1998) . An election is a significant source of political socialization and participation. It makes a bridge between rulers and the common man (Encyclopaedia,2020) . For a viable democracy, free and fair elections ought to be conducted regularly (Azhar, 2017) . An election is the most noticeable component in the current majority rule system. It plays a crucial role in electing the right man for the right job to represent the electors' will, as the fear of re-election always pinches them. Representatives are, thus, chosen to frame future strategies of the state, keeping in view the popular will of the people. Therefore, to shape the future policies of their countries, an election is a controlling power invested in the hands of the people (Berganza,2000) . Voting behavior is whether qualified citizens cast votes and why they vote how they do (Hoene,2011) . The study of voting behavior makes researchers capable to think about the sort of political framework and the nature of change. While examining voting behavior, the center is around how and why individuals settle on a specific electoral decision. Numerous determinants, for example, profession, ethnic character, gender, caste, age, religion, issues, party manifesto, election campaign, and credibility of the party leaders impact the democratic decisions of the electorates. These elements make the electoral behavior of the electorates. It makes them capable that to whom and in what direction they should cast a ballot. This electoral decision-making process is known as voting behavior (Elcock, 1976) . Different political scientists and sociologists have discussed the interaction of religion and politics. By and large, the contentions have been that of total or fractional interaction between the two phenomena (Laguda, 2008) . All through the world, religion and politics are two imperative parts of human society. Religion addresses and conditions man's spiritual balance. Politics shapes the act of religion and figure out who gets what, when, and how in any given political setting (Lasswell, 1958) . Human existence is profoundly impacted by religion. It has an extraordinary effect on each demonstration and attitude of a person particularly in developing countries like Pakistan. Religion is a prominent component of politics in Pakistan (Bashir,2019) . The religious political parties use religious slogans and issues for getting votes. The role of religion is noticeable even in the most developed societies. America is a developed country yet the role of religion is obvious (Botterman, 2009) . The predominant factor in the election of George W. Bush in America in 2000 and 2004 was his religious