A recently-created website is helping people choose who to vote for as the next president of the United States, but some Syracuse University political science professors question its effectiveness.

VoterGuru, founded by Ben Krakow and Ben Atkins, is a New York City-based tech startup that helps users find the political candidates that match with them based on their ideologies and personal beliefs, according to the website. The website currently matches users to candidates based on 14 different issues.

Krakow said he decided to make the website after doing a lot of his own research for the 2014 midterm election and thinking that “there had to be a better way to organize all that information.” VoterGuru tracks voting records and political candidates’ public statements.

Kristi Andersen, a professor of political science in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at SU, said she doesn’t think VoterGuru is a good way to assess people’s views.

“The most important (part) is that it asks you to say (whether) you are liberal and conservative on these issues,” Andersen said. “I am not sure people know what that means.”

Shana Gadarian, a political science professor in the Maxwell School, said it would be better if the website were to show where VoterGuru gathered the information from. Users could learn more about each candidate if there were links to candidates’ websites, she said.

“In order to vote for someone, you have to know something else about them,” Gadarian said.

Character, experience and background also need to be taken into consideration, she added.

Krakow said the issues on the site, which include education policy, energy policy and abortion, among others, are some of the most talked-about topics on the Internet. His team also used Google Trends to search for issues.

Gadarian said there are issues other than the 14 highlighted on the website that are of concern to people.

“It’s only helpful to the extent that you care about these 14 issues,” she said.

It’s easier to decide who to vote for in the presidential race when one already has a partisanship, Gadarian added.

“For people who are Democrats, it’s more likely that they’re going to pick one that is Democratic,” Gadarian said. “You have to think about whether or not you have positions on those 14 issues.”

VoterGuru doesn’t evaluate users’ thoughts about the importance of these issues, Andersen said. She added that websites such as isidewith.com and The Washington Post’s voter guide ask a lot of questions in more detail and evaluate users’ positions more comprehensively.

Krakow said VoterGuru is a tool that helps younger voters become more engaged in politics. An informed electorate is key to democracy, he added.

Gadarian said VoterGuru is a nice way to start for those who know nothing about the candidates.

“Politics is better when more people are participating,” she said.

Krakow said VoterGuru currently has no plans to develop an app, but added that the website will expand into local elections in the future.

Published on March 9, 2016 at 9:54 pm

Contact Chieh: chchen@syr.edu