Hardcore remain campaigner Gina Miller has launched tactical.vote, a website showing EU supporters who to tactically vote for to have the best chance of stopping a Conservative majority and torpedoing Brexit.
The site, developed by a “political tech collective”, states “to defeat the Tories, it's vital to vote for Labour where they can win, and Lib Dems where they can win”.
Miller's tool uses data including results from previous elections to choose the ‘ideal’ obstructionist candidates in a particular constituency. Best for Britain, which Miller works for, predicts the Conservatives would win a majority of 44 unless at least a third of remainers cast their ballots tactically – they project if just 30 percent of Remain supporters cast their ballots tactically, they could secure a majority of four for a 'remain' coalition. Should 40 percent of pro-remain voters work tactically, then they could return a majority of 36.
— Ellie Mae O'Hagan 🏴 (@MissEllieMae) October 31, 2019
The underlying study was carried out by Focaldata, a polling agency, using a technique known as “multi-level regression and post-stratification”, which reportedly gave a rare but accurate prediction Donald Trump would become US president in 2016, and predicted the outcome of the 2017 election. The data has influenced Liberal Democrat MP Chuka Umunna to stand in the Cities of London and Westminster constituency.
The site is part of a wider effort to encourage tactical voting by both Brexit supporters and opponents, aimed at voters ‘lending’ their support to parties in marginal seats and other areas their votes might matter.
Pro-Brexit group Leave.EU has promised to launch a counter app advising ‘leave’ voters which pro-Brexit candidate to back in their constituency – and Brexit Party chief Nigel Farage is being urged to avoid running candidates in seats the Conservatives are targeting or defending, to avoid splitting the vote.
— Leave.EU (@LeaveEUOfficial) October 31, 2019
Pro-Corbyn campaigning organisation Momentum is also targeting university students via the ‘Univotes’ website, where users can enter their home and university postcodes to find out where their votes will make the biggest impact for Labour and “hit the Tories the hardest”.
Former Conservative MP Dominic Grieve, who’s standing as an independent, has said he’s a “direct beneficiary” of tactical voting as the Lib Dems have agreed to stand aside in his seat.
