Starting today, a pebble ballot will be available in all federal states for the first time, as the elections for the Bundestag approach. Thirteen regional public broadcasters, from L1 in Limburg to Omroep Fryslan, developed these digital voting aids together with a scientific team from Kieskompas.
Funding is the responsibility of regional broadcasters. According to Sander van Barneveld, the channels’ editor-in-chief, they do this because they believe it is important for the public to vote in a well-informed manner. “Because of all the social and administrative issues, voter voting has only gotten more complicated,” says Van Barneveld. “The gravel compass helps with that.”
Another important election aid, Stemwijzer, is available in four provinces at the time of these elections. Stemwijzer can now be consulted in Drenthe, Overijssel and North Brabant; The Limburg version will be available from tomorrow. ProDemos produces Stemwijzer on behalf of the states. Most states will use a different voting aid this year or not make any proposals in that area.
refugee centers
Kieskompas provides the user with dozens of suggestions, for example, whether homes for asylum seekers will arrive or will be damaged by new housing construction in the surrounding area. Once answered, a picture of the political landscape will show you where you stand: which political parties are closest and which are farthest.
Different political issues play a role in each federal state, so the positions and positions of the parties are nowhere exactly the same. However, according to André Krouwel, founder of Kieskompas, it is remarkable that PVV, Democracy Forum and JA21 always occupy almost the same positions at the bottom right of the political spectrum. At the top left, parties like D66, PvdA and GroenLinks are also close to each other, but the mutual distances are greater here.
Somewhere in between is ChristenUnie, CDA and VVD. ChristenUnie tends to be in the top left, VVD usually in the bottom right, and CDA mostly in the middle. Although the BBB is generally located on the right and conservative side of the centre, it is essentially more difficult to place.
The political landscape of Kieskompas in Gelderland looks like this:
According to Krouwel, the statements on the election ballot show that there are clear differences between the parties in the state elections. “The use of the subject in the provinces, the speed limit on the provincial roads, whether construction is allowed or not. These issues are controversial by definition.”
For people who struggle with more difficult words for whatever reason, there are also compasses with a simple language state dial. “Although we do our best to write the descriptions as clearly as possible, there are enough words like that,” says Sander van Barneveld, one of the publishers. “The Steffie system can explain these if desired and also helps to get through the gravel compass. It’s extremely important because – let’s face it – politics is complicated enough.”
Source: NOS
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
