Wahl-O-Mat launched for Saxon state elections

The Wahl-O-Mat for the Saxon state elections in Saxony has been launched. Roland Löffler, Director of the Saxon State Center for Political Education, officially launched the online tool in Dresden. "The Wahl-O-Mat is not a voting recommendation tool, but a political education tool designed to help voters find out about the parties' positions," he emphasized. "The aim is political information, political participation and a better understanding of what is up for debate in this state election."

Users enter their own positions on 38 theses on state political issues, which the tool compares with the parties' answers. All 19 parties registered for the state parliamentary elections took part. The theses were compiled by an editorial team of young voters, experts from science, journalism and education from Saxony as well as those responsible at the State and Federal Agency for Civic Education.

"An appetizer for more information"

First-time and second-time voters in particular rarely go to the polls, said Pamela Brandt from the Federal Agency for Civic Education. The Wahl-O-Mat is aimed at them in particular. "Many are not aware of the differences between the parties." The online tool then serves as "an appetizer for more information".

The first to test the online tool after it went live were top politicians from the seven parties that are represented in the state parliament or have a realistic chance of being elected. CDU Secretary General Alexander Dierks, MP Alexander Wiesner (AfD), Left Party chairpersons Susanne Schaper and Stefan Hartmann, Green Party chairpersons Christin Furtenbacher and Marie Müser, SPD education policy spokesperson Sabine Friedel, FDP deputy chairman Thomas Kunz and BSW board member Andreas Uhlig clicked through the theses. All of them clearly put their own party in first place, in some cases with 100 percent agreement.

Used 590,000 times before last state election

The Wahl-O-Mat has been around since 2002, since when it has been used for elections to the European Parliament, state elections and federal elections and has been used over 130 million times. Before the 2019 state elections in Saxony, the Wahl-O-Mat was used around 590,000 times - 200,000 more than five years previously, according to Löffler.