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Election Compass

Find your representative.
  (+5)
(+5)
  [vote for,
against]

People who find party politics too simplistic may want to cast their vote for a representative who matches them on as many opinions as possible. However, they may not have the time to review all candidates on all relevant issues.

Enter the web-based Election Compass. A set of multiple choice questions spans a broad spectrum of policy issues. Electoral candidates answer the questions, and rank each question in terms of importance in their view (high/medium/low).

Voters fill out the exact same questionnaire, and get a list of the closest matching politicians.

placid_turmoil, Mar 19 2009

Pick Your Candidate http://www.dehp.net/candidate/index.php
[tatterdemalion, Mar 19 2009]

Candidate Calculator http://www.allmilit...ate_calculator.html
[tatterdemalion, Mar 19 2009]

VoteMatch Quiz http://www.speakout...e2006.asp?quiz=2008
[tatterdemalion, Mar 19 2009]

Glassbooth.org http://glassbooth.org/
[tatterdemalion, Mar 19 2009]

[link]






       "won't anyone think of the child terrorists who took our jobs that the previous government has been wasting tax money on?"
FlyingToaster, Mar 19 2009
  

       I like this and would use it. +
blissmiss, Mar 19 2009
  

       Thanks for the link rcarty, but that's what I consider to be "party" politics. The Election Compass would find matches at a finer grain than a position on two rather generic and simplistic axes.
placid_turmoil, Mar 19 2009
  

       There is a natural incentive for candidates to take the test: if they don't, they lose the entire potential electorate that bases its vote on the compass.
placid_turmoil, Mar 19 2009
  

       I saw quite a few of these sorts of polls online last year during the primaries. Exactly like this - you responded to a series of questions about issues and it came back with the name of the candidate that most closely matched your choices.   

       The candidates' positions are based on public statements, campaign platforms, and in some cases, voting records. There's no need to have the candidates take the same tests, their positions are easily discoverable on most issues, and they wouldn't take it anyway.   

       Some samples are linked.
tatterdemalion, Mar 19 2009
  

       Nice links tatterdemalion, that's exactly what I was thinking of. Except that here it is used in a rather useless way: U.S. presidential candidates. There's only a handful of them, and if you don't know their positions on each and every last issue after two years of campaigning, then don't bother voting ;)   

       I think this should be used for legislative elections, i.e. for members of the legislative body rather than the executive. For one thing, they are typically many, and little-known. Also, in the executive, the "getting things done" history of the candidate is almost as relevant as their positions, whereas the issues should be (in my view) the main consideration when electing legislators.
placid_turmoil, Mar 20 2009
  
      
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