Polling Perspectives: Factors Influencing the Voting Decision of Senior High School First-Time Voters

Abstract

First-time voters play a crucial role in shaping the democratic landscape, reflecting the evolving political awareness of the youth. This quantitative-descriptive study examined the factors influencing the voting decisions of first-time Senior High School voters at Dapa National High School (SY 2025–2026), focusing on peer influence, family influence, political party affiliation, media exposure, and school influence, as well as variations across age, sex, track, and socioeconomic status. A validated survey was administered to 253 respondents selected via stratified random sampling. Data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson’s r correlation. Results indicated that family income significantly influenced political party affiliation (p = 0.019), while media exposure positively correlated with party affiliation (r = 0.247, p < 0.001). A strong correlation between family and school influence (r = 1.000, p < 0.001) highlighted the complementary roles of home and education in civic formation. Findings suggest that socioeconomic status and media engagement significantly shape young voters’ political orientations, emphasizing the need for enhanced media literacy, civic education, and family involvement to nurture informed and responsible first-time voters.