The Influence of Social Media and E-WOM Mediated by Public Trust on the Decision to Elect Regional Head Candidates among Generation Z in Makassar City

This study aims to analyze the influence of social media and Electronic Word of Mouth (E-WOM) on the decision to vote for regional head candidates, with public trust as a mediating variable in Generation Z in Makassar City. The phenomenon of political digitalization, the increasing use of social media, and the active involvement of Generation Z in online interactions encourage the need to understand the political communication patterns of this generation. Using a quantitative approach with the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method, this study examines the relationship between variables by collecting data from 238 Gen Z respondents who actively use social media as a source of political information. The results show that social media and E-WOM have a direct positive and significant effect on voting decisions. Public trust is proven to partially mediate the relationship between social media and E-WOM on political decisions. E-WOM is a dominant factor because it originates from the opinions of fellow users who are considered more authentic. Through this research, it is hoped to provide theoretical contributions by enriching the understanding of the dynamics between social media, E-WOM, public trust, and voting decisions in the context of elections, especially among generation Z. Practically, the results of this study can be a basis for regional head candidates to formulate more effective campaign strategies, by utilizing social media as a tool to build and maintain public trust, which in turn will influence the voting decisions of young voters.