This Sunday will mark the 1st round of the 2026 municipal elections. In Saint-Etienne, scientists will be present at the exit of several polling stations to study electoral sociology and the influence of current events on the vote.
On Sunday, March 15, in Saint-Etienne, some voters will not only drop an envelope in the ballot boxes: they will also be able to participate in a survey! Led by academics and students from the Triangle laboratory at Jean Monnet University, this survey aims to understand the electoral sociology of the French people and the influence of current events on the vote.
Measuring the impact of the Perdriau affair on the votes
The project is part of the Network of Electoral Studies in France and involves 10 other cities. An anonymous questionnaire will be distributed at the exit of six polling stations in Saint-Etienne. Marion Lang, a political science researcher at Jean Monnet University, described the initiative: “We will ask questions about values, social rights, campaign issues, security, the city center, and the opening of Steel.”
The impact of the sextape blackmail and Gaël Perdriau’s judicial fate on the votes in Saint-Etienne will also be measured. This survey is expected to only cover the first round. No questionnaire is planned for the second round, but researchers are considering covering the 2027 presidential election.
