The Australian National University (ANU) has launched an ACT election edition of smartvote, the online tool that allows potential voters to compare their views and preferences with candidates standing for election.
In a statement, the ANU said the program worked by analysing candidate answers to 32 questions posed by researchers across a wide range of policy issues.
The University said the questions were designed by researchers from the ANU’s Australian Studies Institute and its School of Politics and International Relations.
“By answering the same questions, voters are matched to candidates in a more sophisticated way,” the University said.
“This matching is shown as a ranked list and through visualisations,” it said.
“Comments on each question are also available to help voters understand a candidate’s position.”
The ANU said smartvote would give voters better insight into the distinction between individual candidates rather than the party they represent.
Lead researcher at the ANU, Patrick Dumont said the program helped voters cut through the rhetoric and negative campaigning by offering a deeper level of issue-by-issue analysis and comparison, not just of political parties, but of individual candidates.
Fellow researcher at the ANU, Ian McAllister said that through smartvote, voters were being empowered to make informed choices about who they vote for based on the issues that mattered to them, not the agenda set by politicians.
“The only truly democratic vote is an informed vote,” Professor McAllister said.
The ANU’s smartvote can be accessed at this PS News link.
