In Switzerland, young voters participate less actively in democratic life than their older fellow citizens. The annual study carried out by the Swiss Research Institute gfs.bern demonstrates that an important and recurring reason is the overload of information and complexity of electoral documents for young voters. To overcome this challenge, the Swiss Federation of Youth Parliaments developed the web platform and application Easyvote. Easyvote aims to make information on politics and democratic processes accessible to young people. Easyvote aims to promote the participation of young people aged 18 to 25 in democratic processes.
Easyvote – Switzerland
Abstract
Easyvote web platform presents political content in a clear and neutral format, making it more accessible for young people. The platform presents user-friendly interfaces and multimedia to capture the attention of young people. Easy-to-understand videos on the electoral system and the significance of participating in elections are published on Easyvote’s website and social media accounts. Easyvote brochures, produced in an environmentally conscious manner, are sent to young people in 557 municipalities, providing them with a comprehensive overview of cantonal and national elections. The algorithms of the app Votenow allow users to find the candidates who best match their opinions based on a series of questions. Easyvote also provides teaching material for middle and high school teachers on multiple topics to help them enhance civic literacy among young people, including on separation of powers, federalism, climate change, health and social affairs, state structure in Switzerland and international politics. Furthermore, Easyvote conducts Politalks, a series of debates on current issues with young politicians who are invited into schools. It also implements the Politics and Media project, which aims to contribute to a dynamic and informed political discourse by publishing educational material and streaming live political debates. Additionally, Easyvote, in collaboration with University of Bern and the Swiss Research Institute gfs.bern, has carried out annual Youth and Political Monitoring Surveys since 2016. The survey targets young people aged 15 to 25 and focuses on political attitudes, preferred forms of participation and main resources of political information. The 2022 survey, with over 1 000 participants, revealed three main themes of interest for young people: discrimination, international politics and climate change. Additionally, 25% of respondents expressed that youth movements are predominantly led by older individuals and lack impact. The 2020survey highlighted that 73% of respondents consider it very or somewhat important that political training is part of the school curriculum, up from 66% of respondents in 2014.
In addition to questions on political attitudes, the survey prepared by University of Bern and the Swiss Research Institute gfs.bern also includes questions assessing young people’s perspectives on Easyvote. Data from the 2022 Survey show that 94% of respondents consider Easyvote a comprehensible source of information on politics, second only to information provided by parents (95%). The survey reveals the clear and concise information, the engaging design of the website, the app and brochures are also contributing factors to young peoples’ preference. Additionally, Easyvote is the 9th most used resource to obtain information on politics out of 20 different resources.
Further reading
Easyvote (n.d.), App VoteNow; Easyvote (n.d.), Brochures; Easyvote (n.d.), Matériel didactique; Easyvote (n.d.), Vidéos et Infographie; gfs.bern (2022), Monitoring politique 2022.
This practice also supports the implementation of provision V.2 of the OECD Recommendation on Creating Better Opportunities for Young People.
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