Explaining the (non-) Use of Voting Advice Applications

Voting requires lots of information. In most democracies, elections leave voters with dozens, if not thousands, of voting possibilities. Voting Advice Applications (VAAs) have primarily been recognized as a guide for voters through their electoral decision-making. However, the use of such digital tools is still limited. In this paper, we analyze how voters’ characteristics affect the use of VAAs and what makes individuals not use the application. We present the results of a panel survey where we randomly invited part of the survey respondents to use a VAA during an electoral campaign in the canton of Bern, Switzerland. Our results show that while significant differences exist between respondents in and out of the experimental setting, political knowledge, and interest are consistent drivers of VAA use. Additionally, we show that more than half of non-VAA users indicate that they do not need assistance from a VAA as a reason for not using the tool and that factors influencing this reason are similar to factors that affect the use of VAAs. In doing so, we add to the literature on the use and biases of VAAs and the general understanding of why people use or don’t use digital tools.