Vote Advice Site Launched For Welsh Elections
A team of scholars led by Dr. Matthew Wall, senior lecturer in politics at Swansea University, in association with the Dutch company Kieskompas, has created a ‘vote advice’ website that allows Welsh voters to compare their political opinions to the policy positions of the main parties contesting the National Assembly for Wales election.
There are over 40 different Voting Advice Applications available for national level elections across Europe, but this will be the first of its kind to help voters with the National Assembly for Wales elections, which take place on 5 May this year.
Dr Matt Wall said:
“The idea of www.wales.electioncompass.org is quite straightforward. It asks 30 policy questions that are at the centre of the political debate in Wales and then a unique ‘match’ output is provided which shows how closely the user’s opinions align with the parties’ policy positions.
The site asks questions that focus on topics that the Welsh government is responsible for under devolution. They include health, education, transport, the Welsh economy and the environment as well as devolution itself.”
This site encourages people to vote by giving them confidence to understand where the parties stand on different policies, said Dr Wall.
“Politics can seem intimidating and confusing but that can’t be an excuse with this site. It’ll give you somewhere to find out how your opinions compare to the political parties’ opinions. Anyone can answer these 30 questions and decide where they stand on the main topics of the election.
It’s made to inspire people to think more deeply about politics and policy and to have the confidence to cast their vote this May.”
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