Voter Ethnicity as a Predictor of Voter Choice: The Mediating Role of Party loyalty

This study aimed at evaluating the empirical relationship between voter ethnicity, party loyalty and voters choice in the Zambian context. A quantitative ex post facto survey design was used to achieve the research objectives. A sample of 200 was selected based on a nonprobability technique specifically convenient sampling. The relationship between voter ethnicity, party loyalty and voter choice was analyzed through partial least squares structural equation modelling in Smart PLS 4.0. All the three scales had good reliability cofficients. Convergent and discriminaty validity was established. Good measurement model fit was found through CFA. In SEM statistically significant path relationships between voters ethnicity and voters choice, voters ethnicity and party loyalty as well as between party loyalty and voters choice were found. The study also established that party loyalty mediated the relationship between voter ethnicity and voter choice