Details
Translated title of the contribution | Making Ballots More User Friendly: Recommendations Based on a Survey Experiment |
---|---|
Original language | German |
Pages (from-to) | 93-119 |
Number of pages | 27 |
Journal | Politische Vierteljahresschrift |
Volume | 62 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 10 Sept 2020 |
Publication status | Published - Mar 2021 |
Abstract
This paper takes the considerable variation in ballot design as a point of departure to ask which ballot features are preferred by voters. Using a discrete choice experiment as part of an online survey of 1200 German participants, we asked respondents to choose among fictious ballots that differed in terms of the information about the electoral system, information about the candidates, and the ballot design. The results show that respondents are opposed to lengthy explanations of the electoral system, but they are also critical when the explanation is too brief. Providing the candidates’ occupations and ages is welcomed, whereas candidate addresses are viewed with more skepticism. Overall, comprehension is the most important criterion for ballot evaluation. Based on the results, we discuss features of good ballots and present an example of a well-designed ballot.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Sciences(all)
- Sociology and Political Science
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In: Politische Vierteljahresschrift, Vol. 62, No. 1, 03.2021, p. 93-119.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Stimmzettel nutzerfreundlicher gestalten
T2 - Empfehlungen auf Grundlage eines Survey-Experimentes
AU - Nyhuis, Dominic
AU - Jankowski, Michael
AU - Münchow, Felix
AU - Harmening, Morten
AU - Bruns, Jannik
AU - Holly, Max
AU - Karacic, Josip
AU - Hönnige, Christoph
N1 - Funding Information: Wir danken Paul Jahnke, Dave Köhler, Paul Kruse und Hauke Meisner für ihre Unterstützung. Wir danken Frédéric Ranft für seine Vorschläge zur Modernisierung des Designs von Stimmzetteln, die wir in dieser Arbeit mit seiner Erlaubnis aufgreifen und fortführen. Wir danken den Teilnehmenden des fünften Norddeutschen Kolloquiums Sozialwissenschaften und insbesondere Jan Berz für hilfreiche Kommentare zu diesem Beitrag. Schließlich danken wir den Gutachterinnen und Gutachtern und der Redaktion der Politischen Vierteljahresschrift für ihre umsichtigen und konstruktiven Kommentare, die zur Verbesserung dieser Arbeit sichtlich beigetragen haben. Finanzielle Unterstützung wurde durch das Institut für Politikwissenschaft und die Philosophische Fakultät der Leibniz Universität Hannover zur Verfügung gestellt.
PY - 2021/3
Y1 - 2021/3
N2 - This paper takes the considerable variation in ballot design as a point of departure to ask which ballot features are preferred by voters. Using a discrete choice experiment as part of an online survey of 1200 German participants, we asked respondents to choose among fictious ballots that differed in terms of the information about the electoral system, information about the candidates, and the ballot design. The results show that respondents are opposed to lengthy explanations of the electoral system, but they are also critical when the explanation is too brief. Providing the candidates’ occupations and ages is welcomed, whereas candidate addresses are viewed with more skepticism. Overall, comprehension is the most important criterion for ballot evaluation. Based on the results, we discuss features of good ballots and present an example of a well-designed ballot.
AB - This paper takes the considerable variation in ballot design as a point of departure to ask which ballot features are preferred by voters. Using a discrete choice experiment as part of an online survey of 1200 German participants, we asked respondents to choose among fictious ballots that differed in terms of the information about the electoral system, information about the candidates, and the ballot design. The results show that respondents are opposed to lengthy explanations of the electoral system, but they are also critical when the explanation is too brief. Providing the candidates’ occupations and ages is welcomed, whereas candidate addresses are viewed with more skepticism. Overall, comprehension is the most important criterion for ballot evaluation. Based on the results, we discuss features of good ballots and present an example of a well-designed ballot.
KW - Ballots
KW - Discrete choice experiments
KW - Experiments
KW - Local elections
KW - Survey experiments
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85090596706&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11615-020-00267-x
DO - 10.1007/s11615-020-00267-x
M3 - Artikel
AN - SCOPUS:85090596706
VL - 62
SP - 93
EP - 119
JO - Politische Vierteljahresschrift
JF - Politische Vierteljahresschrift
SN - 0032-3470
IS - 1
ER -