THE RURAL ELECTORATE IN KAZAKHSTAN: BETWEEN ELECTORAL DISCIPLINE AND INFORMED CHOICE

Abstract

In recent years, Kazakhstan has undergone significant transformations in citizens’ political behavior reflected in their changing attitudes toward and participation in elections. This article presents the results of a study of the electoral behavior of the rural residents of Kazakhstan. The study compared urban residents' perceptions of rural voters, obtained through the focus group discussions conducted in 2024-2025, with data from sociological surveys and the factual data on the parliamentary elections from 2004 to 2023. The article examines how the rural residence shapes political behavior during elections and which factors are the most significant for rural voting. It also investigates which of the prevailing societal perceptions of rural voters correspond to empirical reality and which constitute stereotypes.