A research study is being conducted in the 25 districts to understand the factors that influence voter preference in elections. This initiative is part of NPC’s Active Citizens for Elections and Democracy (ACED) project and aims to identify the elements that guide voters' choices during elections.

The study, led by two academics from the University of Colombo, uses a dual component approach: a conjoint analysis and a general information survey. The conjoint analysis (a survey-based advanced market research analysis method that attempts to understand how people make complex choices) aims to understand how voters value different attributes of candidates and policies by presenting participants with hypothetical scenarios involving various candidate profiles. The general information survey collects demographic and psychographic data from participants to provide context to the findings from the conjoint experiment, helping to understand the general voting patterns and preferences of the electorate.

The ACED project is collaborating with four organisations to facilitate this project and ensure its execution at the field level: The Centre for Communication Training (CCT), the Association of War Affected Women (AWAW), People’s Action for Free and Fair Election (PAFFREL), and Women and Democracy (W&D) in the Maldives. These organisations are involved in activities to support research and promote democratic engagement among the citizens. CCT has been engaging with local stakeholders and organising meetings to facilitate the process. Initial activities included meetings with the Assistant Commissioner of Elections, NGO coordinators, district and divisional Youth Services officers and the administrative officials. PAFFREL held national level consultation meetings to revise the voter education toolkit.