Smartvote

Vote Smart is a web-based decision aid for voters. In Switzerland Smartvote offers its services since 2003, in Bulgaria since 2005.

Operation

On the basis of a standardized questionnaire of 30-70 questions of values ​​, attitudes and relevant political issues Smartvote created a profile of the interested voter. This profile is then compared with the profiles of candidates and parties. A voter will be presented at the end a list of the candidates with the most similar preferences and settings. For the calculation of similarities statistical methods such as multi-dimensional scaling to get application.

Development

The Swiss Parliament elections in 2003 were first computerized aids, in particular Smartvote, offered for decision-making and also used by a wider audience. Initially the offer was limited to national parliamentary elections, now Smartvote also offers its services for many cantonal and sometimes even for municipal elections. The parliamentarians Smartvote joined at the beginning part on skepticism. This has now apparently disappeared, because today there are profiles of virtually all Swiss parliamentarians on Smartvote. The 2007 parliamentary elections did Smartvote the most important reference for policy positions of politicians and candidates in the Swiss public.

The development is also supported by public research organizations, including through a project of the Research Center of Excellence Challenges to Democracy in the 21st Century ( NCCR Democracy ) of the Center for Comparative and International Studies.

As part of a Smartvote consulting mandate, the Bulgarian NGO Balkan Assist created 2005 ajar to Smartvote.ch website for the Bulgarian parliamentary elections. More Smartvote adaptations in European countries are provided the necessary funding is not yet secured.

Sponsorship

Smartvote was originally a joint project of the University of Bern and the Commercial- Industrial Vocational School of Berne, which was launched with the aim of promoting transparent and independent information during election campaigns in favor of the electorate.

Today, the politically and denominationally independent association Politools is headquartered in Berne, the carrier of Smartvote.