Are you also facing the problem of which party to vote for in the general election on 22nd September 2013? Maybe you can get some orientation from the ‘online help for first-time voters 2013’. A group of students from the University of Bremen have just spent a semester in an interdisciplinary seminar exploring the topic of the 2013 federal election. Led by political scientist, Dr. Holger Döring, and Prof. Lothar Probst, the students created the internet site www.erststimme2013.de. In so doing, they took inspiration from the well-known Wahl-O-Mat introduced by the Federal Ministry for Political Education.
More than 3,400 users have already made use of the voting assistance offered under www.erststimme2013.de. Most visitors to the site, over 40%, were aged between 18 and 29. The project and the website have been presented to the Bremen government, the Bremer Bürgerschaft, and received coverage from Bremen media. Part of the idea is also to awaken the interest of high school students who are eligible to vote for the first time in the 2013 election and to provide them with some orientation. Although “Erststimme2013.de”, as the project is called, offers advice and information for all first-time voters. The project was presented to one school in each of Bremen’s constituencies. “The online voting help is an ideal way to combine political education with research in political science. We have received an overwhelmingly positive response since the official presentation in August”, says Döring.
Users are asked to respond to 20 statements which have particular relevance for the Federal State of Bremen and the constituency of Osterholz-Verden. The questions range from the introduction of a minimum wage, through education policy, a speed limit on motorways, and quotas for women, up to the legalization of cannabis. It is also possible to see what party candidates have to say. A subsequent evaluation shows which candidate corresponds most closely with your views (approximate values). The online voting help is not only intended to help users make their choice of whom to vote for: It also contains information on the electoral system and the election candidates.
If you’re finding it difficult to make up your mind, why not try it: www.erststimme2013.de.
You can obtain more information on the project by contacting:
Universtität Bremen
Dr. Holger Döring
Fachbereich 08 – Politikwissenschaft
email: doeringprotect me ?!uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de
