United for Iran, a San Francisco-based civil liberties group for the Middle Eastern nation, has announced the release of an app, with a Tinder-like feature, to help voters decide which candidates they align with the most ahead of Iran’s upcoming elections on 19 May.

Sandoogh96, the fourth app to come out of the NGO’s ‘IranCubator’ app incubator project, provides users with uncensored, unbiased information on candidates and their stances on various issues. It also provides up-to-date news surrounding the both the presidential and local elections. Furthermore, the ‘find a match’ feature lets users swipe their way through policies they like and dislike – similar to Tinder. Right for ‘yes’, left for ‘no’.

“Democracy only works when you have an informed citizenry capable of making educated choices,” said Firuzeh Mahmoudi, executive director of United for Iran. “During Iran’s last presidential election, apps like Telegram were important tools of communication and voter activation.  Our hope is that Sandoogh96 will take that a step further, and give the average Iranian voter all of the tools they need to find the candidates that most reflect their beliefs and have a proven record of living up to their promises.”

Tyrone Stewart