Griffith University has announced the launch of a new ‘Data Dashboard’ that allows Queenslanders to make an informed vote.
Developed by Griffith University’s Regional Innovation Data Lab (RIDL), the application allows voters to dive into important decision-making data on any Queensland electorate.
The Data Dashboard is an open-source public resource that breaks down key information about Queenslanders and their electorates, including home ownership status, income, population projections and employment.
Presented in an easy-to-digest way, the Dashboard helps users find information about their electorate community quickly, as well as providing links to the Australian Electorate Commission to help young people and new citizens enroll to vote.
“Queensland has some electorates with the lowest political engagement in Australia,” Griffith expert Professor John Wanna said.
“What the Data Dashboard aims to do is make the voting process as accessible and understandable as possible, to encourage citizens to make full use of their democratic right to have their say in determining how their country is governed.”
It’s not just voters who stand to benefit from the app’s rollout; the Data Dashboard also provides valuable information to candidates and sitting members of parliament to help them better understand the profile and needs of their electorates.
Funded by Griffith University as part of the University’s commitment to being a socially engaged institution, the Data Dashboard is an element of Griffith’s multifaceted, independent analysis of the 2019 Federal Election.
This initiative includes a range of resources produced by some of Australia’s best political scientists and policy researchers, and includes a web television series, Below the Line, and a series of ‘PoliStat’ cards, baseball card-like breakdowns of members’ performance statistics including attendance and voting history.
“By laying out the bare facts of politicians’ track record, the PoliStat cards provide a means of holding our representatives accountable for their actions,” Professor Wanna said.
“Conveniently, it also links to the Data Dashboard’s express goal of boosting engagement with, and understanding of, who and what people are voting for when the election comes around.”