Relevance & Research Question: Voting advice applications (VAAs) are digital tools providing personalized voting advice based on the match between party positions and the user's opinion. As such recommendations can influence decision-making processes and bear implications for electoral outcomes, understanding how VAAs influence voting behavior is essential for assessing the role of technology in strengthening or weakening democratic processes. This study addresses the following research question: "How do voting advice applications affect voting behavior?"
Methods & Data: The quantitative analysis relies on novel data from a probability-based online panel in Austria, where national election was held on September 29, 2024. Using data from a post-election survey conducted between September 30 and October 21, this study examines individual factors influencing the use of various VAAs available during the election, voter motivations for using these tools, and their on vote choice.
Results: Data from this recent survey is currently being prepared for analysis. Preliminary analysis using data from up to n=1,687 panelists suggest that approximately one third of the respondents used at least one of the VAAs available for this election. A large share of respondents used VAAs to test whether the result corresponds to the party they indend to vote for. The authors will update more detailed results by January 2025.
Added Value: Prior research suggests that VAAs facilitate decision-making by reducing costs of gathering political information. As a result, users are more likely to cast a ballot in elections as a result. The added value of this analysis lies in re-assessing this link using novel survey data in the context of the 2024 Austrian national election. Unlike prior studies, it provides new insights into a setting, in which more than one VAA was available. This study thus offers a unique opportunity to assess the relationship between VAA usage and voter behavior in the most recent elections.

Relevance & Research Question

This study examines voter behavior under conditions of frequent elections and political instability, focusing on Israel's unprecedented period of five national elections between 2019-2022. Analyzing this unique case of democratic stress, we investigate how recurring election cycles influence Israeli voters' media consumption and engagement patterns, and explore their relationship with voting intentions. The insights contribute to understanding the interplay between political volatility, media consumption, and democratic participation.

Methods & Data

The study employed survey data from 2,000 Israeli participants recruited through the Midgam Project Web Panel, using stratified sampling aligned with Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics demographics. Data collection spanned four election cycles between 2019-2022, with surveys conducted prior to each election. Variables measured included traditional and digital media consumption patterns, social media engagement with political figures, and changes in voting intentions.

Results

Analysis revealed distinct trends across the 2019-2022 election cycles. Traditional media consumption peaked in 2019 but declined significantly in subsequent elections, reaching its lowest point in 2021 before a modest recovery in 2022. Digital media consumption showed steady growth throughout the period. Social media engagement with political figures exhibited a complex pattern: after decreasing in the second and third election rounds, it rebounded in 2022. Notably, logistic regression analysis indicated that while higher general social media consumption correlated with stable voting intentions, tracking politicians across multiple platforms significantly increased the likelihood of voting intention changes.

Added Value

This research provides novel insights into voter behavior under conditions of repeated elections, challenging assumptions about voter fatigue in highly contested democratic environments. The findings demonstrate how different forms of media consumption influence political engagement and voting stability, particularly highlighting social media's nuanced role in shaping electoral behavior. These results have important implications for understanding democratic participation during periods of political instability and inform strategies for maintaining voter engagement in similar contexts.

Relevance & Research Question
Regular referenda are a central aspect of Swiss direct democracy. Due to the frequency of referenda and their diverse subject matters, public opinion on individual issues often solidifies only shortly before the voting date. Eligible voters commonly rely on official materials, such as booklets or the VoteInfo app, which provide condensed information to support their decision-making. Our study explores whether simulating this information process in a survey setting increases the predictive accuracy of survey data for referendum outcomes. Specifically, we investigate whether providing official referendum information through info buttons helps survey participants not only to become more decisive but also to shape or adjust their stated voting intentions.

Methods & Data
We designed an experiment embedded in a survey on voting intentions in Swiss referenda. Around 5000 participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: a control group that received no additional information, and a treatment group that could access concise official summaries, including voting recommendations from the Swiss Federal Council, Parliament, referendum committees, and party positions. This survey covers recent referenda in 2024 and the upcoming national referendum on 9 February 2025, addressing issues such as the Environmental Responsibility Initiative.

Results
Preliminary findings suggest that participants exposed to additional information were less likely to report uncertainty about their voting intentions. Significant differences emerged in the likelihood of intending to vote “yes” or “no” based on whether participants viewed the information. Moreover, participants who opted out of additional information displayed stronger political interest, greater confidence in casting a vote, and a lower perception of political system complexity. Our preliminary findings thus support the expectation that providing additional information helps voters with initially less definite voting intentions to demonstrate greater decisiveness and consistency, ultimately increasing the predictive accuracy of the survey data.

Added Value
This study highlights how tailored, optional information fosters voting confidence and decision clarity, enhancing the reliability of pre-referendum survey predictions. By examining the integration of information aids into surveys, it provides methodological insights for improving survey-based forecasting and deepens the understanding of political engagement in direct democracy.