Does your organization provide a type of election guide to help voters determine which candidates are more closely aligned with their views?

In the U.S., voters in political elections have often relied on leaflets and online information from organizations such as the League of Women Voters that offer summaries of candidates’ stands on major issues as well as explanations of other important votes. Voters have to read through the information to determine which candidate best represents his or her viewpoints.

But in the United Kingdom, India, Peru, Greece and other countries, voting advice applications (VAAs) offer a much more guided path to helping voters choose the right candidates. The systems, like this one for an upcoming election in Kerala, ask voters to rate a series of statements that indicate their views on a variety of topics, such as “Seats should be reserved for women in the state legislative assembly” and “The government should impose more tax on high income earners to reduce the gap between rich and poor.” The application correlates the responses with information from the candidates and recommends the best matches.

Follow-up research regarding the 2007 Swiss federal elections revealed that VAAs have a positive impact on voter turnout overall, and people who took the quizzes were more motivated to vote, especially younger voters. But VAAs can present challenges as well.

One analysis of VAA results noted that the crafting of the statements could have a large impact on the recommendations, thus could sway an election. In addition, as a newspaper in Finland found out in a recent election, the organizations that host the VAAs have access to critical information about voters’ leanings before an election. Should this data be released to the public as if it was a poll? Or is this information confidential for voters?

So, as an organization, how do you help your voters become more informed? What applications can you see for the VAA platform in your organization?