Work

How Many People Use Voting Advice Applications? Survey Evidence From 15 Democracies Worldwide

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: In this short note, we offer an update on previous assessments of voting advice application (VAA) usage with representative samples from National Election Studies in established democracies worldwide. We map the spread of VAAs among the voting population in those countries in which post-election surveys asked their respondents whether they had used VAAs during the national election campaign. Our empirical base encompasses data from 48 elections held in 15 countries (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and Switzerland) between 2003 and 2024. Beyond mapping VAA usage over time, our analysis focuses on the (potentially changing) individual-level correlates of VAA usage in a longitudinal perspective. The findings show a continuous increase in VAA usage figures in a large majority of the countries under analysis, but also provide little evidence of changes in the sociodemographic composition of the population of VAA users.

Source: Politics and Governance

DOI: 10.17645/pag.11347

Authors: Diego Garzia, Frederico Ferreira da Silva

Institutions: University of Bologna, University of Lausanne, University of Lisbon, Instituto de Ciências Sociais da Universidade de Lisboa

Language: English

Topic: Electoral Systems and Political Participation

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Peace, justice, and strong institutions

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,132