Already decided?
Three first-time voters say how they have informed themselves for the federal election, and whether they know who they will vote for
Pia Dietz (18)
Pia Dietz says she has noticed over the past few weeks that the parties are spending far more time putting each other down rather than emphasizing their own strengths. “And that’s a pity,” she says. “The competition this year is especially fierce.” And she says she is surprised to see that the survey results have developed so differently from how she had imagined at first.
Among other things, Pia has read the party programmes online, used the Wahl-O-Mat developed by the Federal Agency for Civic Education and watched one of the hard-talk TV interviews with all three candidates for the chancellorship. Meanwhile she has decided who she will be voting for. “I’ve found a good party to represent me.”
Paula Hofmann (20)
What does she think about the election campaign? “I would have preferred a stronger focus on the best ideas for the future, rather than on survey results and individual people.” But: “I get the impression that the general population has woken up from a kind of trance and wants more from politics than ‘business as usual’.”
Paula Hofmann has based her decision on similar information sources to those used by Pia Dietz. And she too knows who she will be voting for on 26 September.
Charlotte Winkler (20)
Charlotte Winkler says she is surprised how many young people have been taking part in the election campaign, especially in support of the direct candidates. Referring to the voters in general she says: “I have the feeling that more people are giving more thought to things now than before and that numerous strategic considerations are involved.”
She hasn’t decided yet who she will be voting for, but she already has a strong idea who it might be. Charlotte Winkler has also used the Wahl-O-Mat in addition to joining in various discussions within the family. Before she makes her final decision, she wants to take a thorough look at the programmes of her favourites.
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