Bundestag election: Wahl-O-Mat starts

The election program comparison Wahl-O-Mat has existed since 2002. The number of users has grown steadily since then, but there have been repeated criticisms of the tool’s balance. How the content comes about is explained by its creators.

Which party do your own political views agree with? The Wahl-O-Mat should help with this question with a view to the most important issues before the federal election. 38 questions can be answered by users on the computer or the app with “yes”, “no” or “neutral”. Their opinions are then compared with the positions of the 40 parties that are running for election.

How do the theses come about?

Pamela Brandt, project manager for Wahl-O-Mat at the Federal Agency for Civic Education, knows how long it takes to get to the finished tool: it takes four to five months. At the beginning, young voters work out the topics with scientists and political experts – the basis for this is also the election programs. Then the theses are sent to the parties, who state their point of view and justify it with 500 characters. “All the answers in the Wahl-O-Mat are given by the parties themselves, and at the end you compare yourself with the parties,” says Brandt.

Do extreme theses get too much space?

The Wahl-O-Mat shortens and sharpens. After all, complex topics such as tax or climate protection laws often have to be formulated as yes and no questions. This would bring supposedly simple, populist theses to the fore, so the criticism.

Stefan Marschall is Professor of Politics at the University of Düsseldorf, where research on Wahl-O-Mat is carried out – partly on behalf of the Federal Central Office. He doesn’t see it that way. Both the formulation of the questions and the choice of topics are not done by the parties. “The parties very often have their favorite topics and that is why it is particularly important to ensure that not only one topic is played on, but that various topics arise, if possible the breadth of the political spectrum.” When making the selection, it is more important that differences between the parties become clear. “Therefore, points that everyone agrees with or that everyone disagrees with are not relevant for Wahl-O-Mat.”

Are small parties disadvantaged?

All 40 parties that are running for the federal election are represented in the tool. You can also select individual parties with which you want to compare your own opinions, but short portraits of all parties can also be found in the Wahl-O-Mat. Project manager Brandt therefore thinks that the Wahl-O-Mat gives small parties the chance to become visible: “Many small parties often have little budget to advertise and stick up posters – the Wahl-O-Mat has an enormous one Reach to really raise awareness of many small parties at once. “

Why is the Wahl-O-Mat only available in German?

There have been several attempts to offer Wahl-O-Mat in other languages, says project manager Brandt. But that has been too time-consuming so far. The difficulty is to find appropriate neutral words in the translations. Individual terms would have different meanings in other languages, so that users would be confused. “We’re still working on it,” says Brandt. Attempts with Turkish and Danish have so far failed. If possible, there should also be a version of the Wahl-O-Mats in easy language. When that will work has not yet been determined.

What does the result bring?

It is very important for the makers: The tool should not be a recommendation for a choice, but rather provide important information about the choice. Most users are also aware of this, says political scientist Marschall. From the surveys on the tool one knows that most users have a party preference and already know who they want to vote for. “You just want to look again and compare whether this party is really where you think it is.”

It is crucial that people begin to be interested in politics, says project manager Brandt. The Wahl-O-Mat achieves this when people talk about their result and then also about certain topics and the parties. “That’s what we want: people should start a conversation and at the end go to the polls.”