Strategic coalition voting assumes that voters cast their vote in a way that maximizes the
probability that a preferred coalition will be formed after the election. We identify three
decision contexts that provide incentives for strategic coalition voting: (1) a rental vote of
a major party supporter in favor of a preferred junior coalition partner perceived as
uncertain to pass a minimum vote threshold, (2) avoiding a wasted vote for the preferred
small party that is not expected to pass the minimum vote threshold, and (3) explicit
strategic coalition voting to influence the composition and/or portfolio of the next coalition
government. The results based on a nationally representative survey conducted before
the 2006 Austrian general election generally support these hypotheses.
