Bundestag election: helping voters decide

What even is a “Wahl-O-Mat”? If you are wondering which political party best represents your views, the Wahl-O-Mat (or “Vote-O-Mat” in English) could give you the answers you need. The Wahl-O-Mat compares users’ responses to the policies of all parties standing for the elections and helps people decide where they stand. Users are shown statements on 38 current political issues and are asked to rate each as “agree”, “disagree”, or “neutral”. They can also skip any of the statements. 

Parties need to deliver

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? And it is, but there’s a very clever process behind it all. Ahead of the Bundestag Election 2025, all 29 parties which have registered candidates for at least one federal state list rated the statements themselves and explained their responses. For users, this not only allows them to compare their views with the various parties’ policies, but also to understand why a party advocates a particular position. Users are also able to give greater weight to certain issues. At the end the Wahl-O-Mat shows the user which party aligns most closely with their responses. 

Where did the statements come from?

A team of around 20 young voters aged between 18 and 26 came up with the statements in a series of workshops. By reviewing election manifestos and analysing statements made to the media, the team came up with an initial selection of 80-100 statements. Which issues will make the difference? Where are the tensions between the parties? After the parties had submitted their responses and explanations, 38 statements were selected as best reflecting the debates. 

The team were not working alone, though. They were supported by academics, statisticians and educational experts, while state agencies for civic education also provided advice. The process generated a mixture of controversial and representative topics as a form of compass for anyone trying to find their way through the political maze. 

Entertainment and education

Could the Wahl-O-Mat influence the outcome of an election? No, say the Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb), which operates the Wahl-O-Mat. They stress it is just a source of information and does not advise users how to vote. The data seem to back this up. According to one survey, over 90% of users already had a general idea of who they would vote for. They mainly used the Wahl-O-Mat to review their policy preferences and explore differences between the parties. In addition to this, 60% of Wahl-O-Mat users said it motivated them to find out more information. Last but not least, 85% of those surveyed said that using the Wahl-O-Mat was fun. 

Over 20 years of proven success

Since its introduction in 2002, the Wahl-O-Mat has become one of the most successful services provided by the Federal Agency for Civic Education. The Agency has provided a Wahl-O-Mat for elections at almost every level, from state parliaments to the Bundestag and even the European Parliament. The Wahl-O-Mat has been accessed over 130 million times since its creation.