What is smartvote Tibet? How does smartvote Tibet work?

smartvote Tibet is an independent and innovative online platform that helps voters find candidates who share similar policy positions. By answering a series of questions on key issues, users can compare their own views with those of the candidates. The platform provides first-hand information directly from the candidates, helping voters reflect on their own perspectives and better understand where each candidate stands. The goal of smartvote Tibet is not to influence voting in any particular direction, but to support more informed decision-making and promote transparent, issue-based elections. To learn more about how smartvote Tibet works, see the Methodology section.

How was the questionnaire developed?

The questionnaire is a central element of smartvote Tibet, designed to measure political preferences in the context of the Tibetan elections. It was developed specifically for this purpose and follows clear quality standards. Political neutrality is essential. The questionnaire covers a broad range of topics that reflect both current debates and issues likely to shape future discussions. All questions are formulated in a clear and comprehensible way to ensure accessibility for everyone. To learn more about how the questionnaire was developed, see the Methodology section.

• First, political neutrality is absolutely essential.
• Second, the questionnaire should include a broad spectrum of topics. At the same time, the questions should reflect current debates on the one hand, and future discussions which will become important in the upcoming years on the other.
• Finally, the questions need to be formulated in a clear and comprehensible way.

How are the candidates’ answers and policy positions determined?

All candidates running in the Tibetan elections are identified and contacted by smartvote Tibet before the election. They are invited to complete the questionnaire, and those who do receive a public profile on the smartvote Tibet website where they can be matched with voters.

How are the results calculated?

On the smartvote Tibet website, users answer the same questionnaire as the candidates. The platform then compares both sets of answers using a mathematical formula called Euclidean distance, which measures how close or far apart two positions are. Based on this calculation, smartvote Tibet ranks all participating candidates in the user’s selected constituency according to how closely their views match. Candidates with the highest match appear at the top of the list. The more questions a user answers, the more accurate the matching results become. For more details, see the Methodology section.

How should I interpret the matching score?

The matching score shows how closely a candidate’s answers align with those of the user. It is calculated as a geometric measure of conformity and displayed as a percentage to make the results easier to interpret. However, this percentage does not represent the number of identical answers. Instead, it reflects the overall closeness of positions across all questions. For more details, see the Methodology section.

How long will my results be saved? How can I access them again in the future?

Your answers are stored locally on your own device. As long as you do not delete your browser’s local storage, you can return to the site and view or update your results anytime. You can also email your results to yourself directly from the results page.

How can I interpret the smartspider? How is the smartspider calculated?

The smartspider is a visual representation of political profiles. Each of its five axis stands for a key policy area (for example, Open Society or Political Reform). Every axis is based on several questions from the questionnaire. A value of 100, at the outer edge of the spider, means strong agreement with the goal of that axis; a value of 0, in the center, means no agreement. The more the smartspiders of a candidate and a user overlap, the more similar their positions are. For details, see the Methodology and Smartspider pages.

Why are there some candidates, who do not have any answers to the questionnaire and are not included in the matching results?

Before launch, all candidates are invited to participate in smartvote Tibet. However, participation is voluntary, and not every candidate chooses to complete the questionnaire. Candidates can still join until election day. To maintain transparency, basic information (name, election, and constituency or religious tradition) is listed for all candidates, even if they have not submitted answers.

Is smartvote Tibet associated with any specific political campaigns, candidates, or other political entities?

No, all individuals and organisations involved in the development and operation of smartvote Tibet (e.g. Project Democracy and Politools) are non-partisan and non-profit organizations.