Voting Advice Applications in Times of Democratic Backsliding and Polarization

Across Europe and beyond, democratic backsliding, rising polarization, and increasing societal fragmentation pose serious challenges to representative democracy and public trust in political institutions and procedures. In this context, Voting Advice Applications (VAAs) have become important instruments for fostering informed electoral participation by helping citizens compare their policy preferences with the positions of political parties and candidates. Initially developed to support voter engagement, VAAs are now a standard feature of electoral campaigns at local, national, and transnational levels, shaping how voters access, evaluate, and interpret political information. The widespread diffusion of VAAs has also created valuable opportunities for political and policy research. They offer unique data for studying party competition, ideological polarization, and attitudes toward democratic governance. Yet, while VAAs can enhance civic engagement and promote issue-based voting, they may also reinforce existing divisions—for instance, by simplifying complex ideological landscapes, amplifying affective polarization, or unintentionally strengthening partisan identities. Understanding these dual effects is essential for assessing the broader democratic implications of digital participation tools. Building on the success of previous ECPR sections on VAAs since 2013, this year’s section encompasses comparative and interdisciplinary contributions on the design, use, and consequences of VAAs. Panels examine their role in mitigating or intensifying polarization, their methodological and technological development (including applications of AI, machine learning, and big data), and their potential to either support or challenge democratic resilience in a changing political environment. By bringing together scholars and practitioners from across Europe, the section aims to link empirical VAA research with broader debates on democratic governance, citizen engagement, and the digital transformation of politics. The section is endorsed by the ECPR Research Network on Voting Advice Applications.