How Our Brains (and Friends) Shape Our Votes

So I’m teaching this persuasion class, and I’ve been geeking out over something called the Theory of Reasoned Action. It sounds kind of academic, but honestly, it explains voting behavior better than a lot of the political commentary out there. And there’s A LOT of commentary out there. But once you hear it, you’ll start noticing it everywhere.

Think about what it really feels like to vote. People like to pretend it’s a pure, private moment—just you, your ballot, and your own judgment. But if you’ve ever stood there looking at the options and felt that little internal tug-of-war, you know it’s not that simple. The Theory of Reasoned Action, or TRA, basically says that when we make a decision—like who to vote for—we’re pulled by two main forces: what we believe and what we think others believe we should do.

Let’s start with the “what we think” part. Long before Election Day, you’ve already created a mental file on each candidate or issue. Maybe you’ve heard something about their economic plans, or you like what they say about schools, or you’re worried about how they might handle a big problem. These small impressions accumulate over time—news stories, conversations, random things you scroll past online—and they shape your overall attitude. If most of those impressions are positive, you tend to lean one way. If they’re negative, you tend to lean the other.

But here’s the thing: nobody’s beliefs line up perfectly. You might love a candidate’s ideas on healthcare but feel weird about their stance on foreign policy. TRA says that when your feelings are mixed, the beliefs that matter most to you personally end up steering the ship. That’s why two people can look at the exact same information and still vote differently—they’re prioritizing different things.

Now for the second force: the people around us. TRA calls this “subjective norms,” but really it’s just social pressure—sometimes loud, sometimes subtle. Even though voting itself is private, everything leading up to it is basically a group project. You hear what your family thinks. You see what your friends post. You catch the vibe of your workplace or your community. And whether you realize it or not, all of that shapes your sense of what’s “normal” or “expected.”

Picture someone who’s leaning toward one candidate but knows their whole friend group is on Team Other Candidate. Nobody has to say anything directly—just knowing that can create a little internal pressure. Or imagine someone who lives in a community where supporting a certain ballot measure is just “what everyone does.” That stuff gets into your head. Not because people are weak-minded, but because humans are wired to care about belonging. If you’re curious how these subjective norms work, there’s a lot more to explore.

Put those two forces together—your own beliefs and the social expectations you feel—and you get what TRA calls your “behavioral intention.” That’s basically your plan going into the voting booth. By the time you’re holding the ballot, that intention is usually pretty solid. You’re not randomly guessing; you’re acting on a decision shaped by months or even years of thinking, talking, and absorbing the world around you. Sure, last‑minute news or a conversation in the parking lot can shake things up, but even then, it’s still working through the same channels: your beliefs or your sense of what others expect. If you want to see how behavioral intention plays out in real elections, I can break that down too.

What I love about TRA is that it makes voting feel less mysterious. People aren’t unpredictable or irrational—they’re responding to what they believe and who they trust. And that’s exactly why political persuasion focuses so much on shaping attitudes and signaling social approval. Those are the levers that actually move people.

(Tim Herrera is the author of “Public Speaking: Simple Steps to Improve Your Skills” and “Mastering Media: Strategies for Effective Communication in the Digital Age.”  You will find both Amazon.)