Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Hillary Clinton or rather Barack Obama? The battle for the political leadership of the Republican and Democratic party is still undecided. The Electoral Compass USA wants to help the voter in making a choice. By answering to a series of questions the position of the voter will be determined on a figure, with an economic and a social axis. The outcome will be compared to the position of the candidates. Although the questionnaire was not presented to the candidates André Krouwel, the inventor of the Electoral Compass, still thinks that the positions are accurate. “The placements in the figure were done by several cipher clerks and they were checked by an international team of scientists.” In previous editions of the Electoral Compass, among which the Compass for the Dutch parliamentary elections, the questionnaire also asked after the opinion of the voter regarding the trustworthiness of the candidates. In following versions this will be included.

The voter may be undecided; André Krouwel dares to make a prediction: On November 4 the battle will be between Hillary Clinton and John McCain. It is indeed likely that McCain will win the primaries for the Republican parties. But, Krouwel estimates that Clinton too will eventually win more support than her opposition. On the Electoral Compass she is placed as a social conservative and much of the American electorate shares her position.

Over two million people, among whom many Americans, but also Germans, Dutch, Britons, Belgians and Canadians filled out the Electoral Compass USA. “Everybody should be able to vote for a world leader, or at least get knowledgeable about his or her points of view,” Feels André Krouwel. Even though Europeans will not be able to actually vote in these primaries, they may expect help for their elections in the future. Electoral compasses will be developed for the European parliamentary elections, and the elections in London, Luxemburg and Portugal.

More on the primaries on cafebabel.com