VOTERS’ PERCEPTION TOWARDS POLITICAL PARTY: A GEOSPATIAL CASE STUDY OF YOUNG VOTERS IN JOHOR BAHRU

Abstract. The application of Geographic Information System (GIS) and election is a study that stresses geospatial aspects which gives support to election boundaries, election information management system along with GIS analysis in election boundaries. This article, as a concept, explains the role and function of GIS and geopolitics as an introduction to examine the election pattern in Malaysia. This study was aimed at understanding the issue that influenced youth voters in DUN Nusajaya to cast their votes in General Election, thus charting new strategies for future election. In doing so, nine issues are carefully selected and analysed from a geographical perspective by using GIS method. Socio-demographic data, issues influenced and assessment of state political figure, are used to explore geographic variability in relationships between each variable at a detailed spatial level. Spatial analysis using geographically weighted regression (GWR) was employed, which enables the investigation of local variations in voting patterns. The results demonstrate that assessment of state political figures do vary over geographic space and some of the variables that are traditionally assumed affect certain locations.