2009
Prepare a first draft of the common voter survey questionnaire to be administered in all 27 elections. This involves extensive theoretical as well as practical considerations, so the team members will work closely on prioritizing what needs to be measured.
Consultation with the other two components of the project is crucial at this stage, and thus the members of this component who overlap with other areas will be key players.
The questionnaire will likely include questions on: socio-demographic characteristics, vote choice, political participation, satisfaction with democracy, evaluations of electoral institutions, partisan preferences, strategic considerations, political awareness, attitudes, values, contact from parties, and personality traits.
A preliminary draft of the questionnaire will be discussed at the May 2009 meeting and will be finalized in fall 2009.
Prepare a new call for bids from international survey research firms to conduct the surveys in all five countries.
2010
Pre-test the questionnaire and come up with the final version of the common core questions that will be administered in all five countries.
Sign contract with the firm chosen to conduct the internet surveys.
2011
Conduct surveys for cantonal and federal elections in Switzerland. Data collection will be completed within six months of each election. As a result, preliminary, descriptive analyses of these surveys will be possible when the midterm report is submitted in June 2012.
2012
Conduct surveys for various elections in France, Germany, Spain, and Switzerland.
