The Global Electoral College, designed in Hong Kong by Eight Partnership, goes live at 8pm (Hong Kong time) tonight at economist.com/vote2008.
It lets registered users of economist.com around the world choose between Barack Obama and John McCain. Each of the 195 countries in the world, including the US, has been assigned a number of votes in a worldwide electoral college. As with each state in the actual election, each country has been awarded three votes plus an extra vote for every 700,000 in population. Those votes will go en bloc to Obama or McCain depending on the preference of users in that country.
It lets registered users of economist.com around the world choose between Barack Obama and John McCain. Each of the 195 countries in the world, including the US, has been assigned a number of votes in a worldwide electoral college. As with each state in the actual election, each country has been awarded three votes plus an extra vote for every 700,000 in population. Those votes will go en bloc to Obama or McCain depending on the preference of users in that country.
Results can be tracked in real time on the website, showing which countries favour Republicans and which favour the Democrats, and by how much. The Economist is believed to be looking for a sponsor for the tool.
"America's presidential campaign has fascinated people around the world," said executive editor Daniel Franklin. "Maddeningly, though, only Americans get to vote."
