- Online help for undecided voters: the app WahlSwiper
For the state elections in Saxony and Thuringia on September 1st, there's now a decision-making aid available via a free app. The tool from the non-profit organization VoteSwiper has been deployed 36 times to assist voters in choosing a party, organizers announced. Instead of having to wade through all party manifestos, the so-called VoteSwiper guides users through various topics of current state politics based on around 40 questions.
"Our goal is to support voters scientifically and engagingly in their decision-making process – and thus also to strengthen political interest and political discourse," explained political scientist Uwe Wagschal from the University of Freiburg. He had developed the questions based on party manifestos with a team. The parties were given 57 questions to answer, from which 38 were selected for Saxony and 37 for Thuringia.
Saxony and Thuringia also have a Wahl-O-Mat, run by the state centers for political education. Roland Loeffler, head of the Saxon center, sees the Wahl-O-Mat primarily as a tool for political education. "The goal is political enlightenment, political participation, a deeper understanding of what's at stake in this state election," he said.
Voters in the upcoming 'Election to the Landtag' in Saxony and Thuringia can utilize the VoteSwiper app for making informed decisions, as the tool has been successfully used 36 times by voters to navigate party manifestos. This 'Election to the Landtag' is also being supported by the Wahl-O-Mat, a political education tool run by the state centers, with the primary aim of promoting 'political enlightenment' and 'political participation' in these elections.