Record-Breaking Interest in Germany’s Wahl-O-Mat Ahead of Federal Election

Voter turnout in Germany’s upcoming federal election is expected to be high, with record-breaking engagement in Wahl-O-Mat, an online tool that helps voters compare their views with political parties. Within one day of its launch, it was used over nine million times, according to the Federal Agency for Civic Education.

Wahl-O-Mat presents users with 38 policy questions covering climate, migration, economy, and social issues. After answering, voters see which of the 29 participating parties align with their views. The tool is particularly aimed at engaging young voters.

Why such high interest? Germany’s political landscape is tense. Since the last coalition collapsed in December, public concern has grown. The conservative CDU leads the polls with Friedrich Merz as its candidate for chancellor. Meanwhile, the far-right AfD is in second place for the first time at the national level. Alarmed voters are mobilizing to prevent a CDU-AfD coalition, a possibility that the CDU previously ruled out but now appears open to.

With stakes this high, more Germans see the urgency of voting—reflected in Wahl-O-Mat’s unprecedented popularity.

Photo: mohamed hassan via stockvault