Chloe Smith says: get registered, get informed and use tech

What role does technology play in our elections, can an app tell you which party to back, and will e-voting ever become practical? These were some of the questions debated this week at a cross-party meeting of MPs and experts in the House of Commons.

 

Chaired by Norwich North MP Chloe Smith, the All Party Parliamentary Group on Democratic Participation works to examine and promote ideas, proposals and evidence for innovation in the way British democracy works.

 

Top of the agenda was an analysis of Verto, a voting advice app developed by Bite the Ballot, Demos, the Political Studies Association and academics at the universities of Newcastle, Lincoln, Royal Holloway and Warwick. Described by some as the ‘Tinder of politics’, the app reached over 400,000 voters at the last General Election.  The app is targeted towards the younger generation of voters, yet 60% of users were over 25.

 

Commenting on the meeting Chloe said:

 

“Technology like Verto and other voting advice apps has tremendous potential to influence the way we do democracy in this country.  I run this group in Parliament because politics is changing, and I want Parliament to keep up!

 

“There are important elections in May for local councils and police & crime commissioners, followed by the huge EU referendum in June.  I urge people to get registered, get informed and use tech to help.”