Influence of Politics

What influences how we vote? Do we vote based on religion? based on what our parents tell us? how do we vote and what do we base it on? I recently just moved to the United States and this whole campaign, elections, and emphasis on politics is certainly new to me. I find it interesting that having lived in both Washington D.C. and California, how the demographics change and how the voting demographics, specifically, have changed. Is it something in the environment that influences how we vote? I really cannot determine what it is that influences how people vote but truthfully, I think most of it is how we are raised and what our parents and ancestors have stressed and imposed on us. A website I found recently analyzes how religion and politics coincide and the effect both have on each other. Religion and politics. Check it out... it's pretty interesting!