Monday, February 10
Germany’s election automaton: The Wahl-O-Mat goes online
Are you eligible to vote in the upcoming elections? Or, even if you’re not, are you curious about which party best matches your political views? Enter Germany’s trusty decision-making machine: the Wahl-O-Mat (vote-o-meter). This online tool lets you respond to 38 statement on key election issues and compare your responses with the official positions of major parties. A staple of German elections for over 20 years, the Wahl-O-Mat is operated by the Federal Agency for Political Education (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung).
After completing the questionnaire, users receive a percentage breakdown of how closely their views align with each party. Alternatively, they can examine party stances question by question. For instance, the statement “The ‘debt brake’ should remain part of the constitution” is supported by the CDU, FDP, and AfD but opposed by the SPD, Greens, and Die Linke. Meanwhile, “Germany should continue exporting military equipment to Israel” is backed by the Greens, SPD, CDU, and FDP but opposed by Die Linke and BSW (the AfD remains neutral on this issue).
It’s a useful tool for getting a sense of the political landscape. However, if you are eligible to vote, you may want to compare your stance with local polling—tactical voting is one factor the Wahl-O-Mat does not account for.
