{"release":{"code":"RC23.20","version":"1.0.0-rc.23.20","name":"MATCHmyVOTE Public Beta — VF Plus evidence refresh","stage":"public_beta","program_status":"public_beta_package_ready_for_owner_deployment","as_of_date":"2026-09-12"},"product":{"name":"MATCHmyVOTE","developed_by":"PoliNEXUS, a division of Merchant Innovation (Pty) Ltd","responsible_party":"Merchant Innovation (Pty) Ltd","business_address":"Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa","product_contact":"devTECH@polinexus.co.za","information_officer":"Mr P.D. 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corpus meets the RC10 gate: at least 8 dimensions, 9 issues, 2 primary sources and 65 confidence per position."},{"code":"DA","name":"DA","official_website":"https://www.da.org.za/","match_available":true,"directory_status":"available_for_matching","match_publication_reason":"Stated-policy corpus meets the RC10 gate: at least 8 dimensions, 9 issues, 2 primary sources and 65 confidence per position."},{"code":"MK","name":"MK","official_website":"https://www.mkparty.org.za/","match_available":true,"directory_status":"available_for_matching","match_publication_reason":"Stated-policy corpus meets the RC10 gate: at least 8 dimensions, 9 issues, 2 primary sources and 65 confidence per position."},{"code":"EFF","name":"EFF","official_website":"https://www.effonline.org/","match_available":true,"directory_status":"available_for_matching","match_publication_reason":"Stated-policy corpus meets the RC10 gate: at least 8 dimensions, 9 issues, 2 primary sources and 65 confidence per position."},{"code":"IFP","name":"IFP","official_website":"https://www.ifp.org.za/","match_available":true,"directory_status":"available_for_matching","match_publication_reason":"Stated-policy corpus meets the RC10 gate: at least 8 dimensions, 9 issues, 2 primary sources and 65 confidence per position."},{"code":"PA","name":"PA","official_website":"https://mypa.org.za/","match_available":true,"directory_status":"available_for_matching","match_publication_reason":"PA's stated-policy profile meets the RC23 publication gate: at least 8 dimensions, 9 issues, 2 party-primary sources and 65 confidence per published position."},{"code":"FFPLUS","name":"VF Plus","official_website":"https://www.vfplus.org.za/","match_available":true,"directory_status":"available_for_matching","match_publication_reason":"Stated-policy corpus meets the RC10 gate: at least 8 dimensions, 9 issues, 2 primary sources and 65 confidence per 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position."},{"code":"UAT","name":"UAT","official_website":"https://www.uat2023.org/","match_available":true,"directory_status":"available_for_matching","match_publication_reason":"Stated-policy corpus meets the RC10 gate: at least 8 dimensions, 9 issues, 2 primary sources and 65 confidence per position."},{"code":"GOOD","name":"GOOD","official_website":"https://forgood.org.za/","match_available":true,"directory_status":"available_for_matching","match_publication_reason":"Stated-policy corpus meets the RC10 gate: at least 8 dimensions, 9 issues, 2 primary sources and 65 confidence per position."}],"languages":[{"locale":"en-ZA","name":"English","active":true,"ui_status":"approved","questionnaire_status":"approved","fallback_locale":null},{"locale":"af-ZA","name":"Afrikaans","active":true,"ui_status":"review_ready","questionnaire_status":"complete_pending_human_review","fallback_locale":"en-ZA"},{"locale":"zu-ZA","name":"isiZulu","active":false,"ui_status":"deferred_native_review","questionnaire_status":"deferred_native_review","fallback_locale":"en-ZA"},{"locale":"xh-ZA","name":"isiXhosa","active":false,"ui_status":"deferred_native_review","questionnaire_status":"deferred_native_review","fallback_locale":"en-ZA"}],"local_elections":[{"code":"LGE2026","name":"2026 South African Local Government Elections","election_date":"2026-11-04","candidate_data_status":"nominations_open","candidate_data_as_of":"2026-08-19","ballot_matching_enabled":false,"activation_reason":"Candidate nominations are open and the IEC-certified candidate lists are not yet available."}],"inactive_election_profile":{"code":"LGE_2026_LOCAL_READY_PROFILE","status":"INACTIVE","activation_allowed":false,"activation_gate":"HOLD_EVIDENCE_GATE","foundation_pool_targets":{"NATIONAL":11,"MUNICIPAL_LOCAL":13,"VALUES":6},"full_path_pool_targets":{"NATIONAL":13,"MUNICIPAL_LOCAL":16,"VALUES":7},"classification_question_range":{"minimum":30,"maximum":36}},"frozen_methodology":{"dimensions":12,"classification_questions":48,"foundation_classification_questions":24,"minimum_classification_questions":30,"maximum_classification_questions":36,"priority_questions":3,"research_questions":1,"stopping_rule_version":"ADAPTIVE_24_30_36_PILOT_V1","ideology_weight":0.4,"issue_weight":0.6,"unknown_is_neutral":false,"demographics_affect_alignment":false,"geography_affects_alignment":false,"stated_policy_separate_from_behaviour":true,"governance_separate_from_alignment":true,"missing_party_evidence_gets_placeholder_score":false,"inactive_lge_profile_foundation_pool_targets":{"NATIONAL":11,"MUNICIPAL_LOCAL":13,"VALUES":6},"inactive_lge_profile_full_path_pool_targets":{"NATIONAL":13,"MUNICIPAL_LOCAL":16,"VALUES":7}},"programme_boundaries":["MATCHmyVOTE explains evidence-qualified policy alignment; it does not instruct a voter how to vote.","This Public Beta compares documented party positions and does not confirm who is on a participant's ward ballot.","Candidate lists, municipality/ward eligibility and ballot presence are not inputs to the Public-Beta score, profile or party cohort.","The public journey requires a recorded 18-plus declaration and core-processing consent before an anonymous session is created.","Research is optional, separately consented and has zero effect on the questionnaire, profile, party comparison or result.","Party presence, stated policy, observed behaviour and governance performance remain distinct claims.","Missing evidence, unresolved contradictions and political identity never create a neutral or inferred party position.","Production participant data and backups are owner-declared to remain with a local South African service provider for this Beta."],"roadmap":{"completed":["RC23 PA participation and 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before session creation","Separate voluntary research-consent journey with zero scoring weight","In-product anonymous-session review, resumption and permanent deletion controls","Public privacy notice, Information Officer contact route and South African local-provider declaration","Result certificate using the approved template and closest-party logo"],"external_release_gates":[{"code":"public_beta_scope","status":"implemented","blocking_for":"none","description":"The public journey states that it compares documented party positions, does not confirm ward ballots and is not voting advice."},{"code":"core_processing_consent","status":"implemented","blocking_for":"none","description":"Session creation requires an 18-plus declaration and recorded core-processing consent tied to the public-Beta notice version."},{"code":"optional_research_separation","status":"implemented","blocking_for":"none","description":"Research is a separate voluntary consent flow and has zero effect on profile or party matching."},{"code":"local_south_african_hosting_declaration","status":"owner_declared","blocking_for":"owner_deployment_configuration","description":"Merchant Innovation has declared that hosting and backups use a local South African service provider; the deployment environment must retain that configuration."},{"code":"ward_candidate_matching","status":"future_feature","blocking_for":"local_matching_activation_only","description":"Candidate lists and ward-ballot matching are deliberately outside the Public Beta and do not block the policy-comparison journey."}],"public_beta":{"statement":"This Beta compares your answers with documented party positions. It does not confirm who is on your ward ballot and does not tell you who to vote for.","participant_scope":"Adults aged 18 or older who actively consent to the public-Beta privacy notice.","core_processing_consent":{"required":true,"notice_version":"MATCHMYVOTE-PUBLIC-BETA-NOTICE-V1","records":"Anonymous session identifier, consent timestamp, notice version and 18-plus declaration."},"research":{"enabled":true,"optional":true,"separate_consent":true,"score_effect":"none"},"hosting_and_backups":{"provider_location":"Local South African service provider","participant_data_country":"ZA","live_session_retention_days":30,"maximum_backup_recovery_days":35},"local_ballot_matching":{"enabled":false,"reason":"Candidate-list and ward-ballot matching are outside this policy-comparison Beta and may be introduced later as a separately scoped feature."}},"links":{"questionnaire":"/questionnaire/","results":"/results/","methodology":"/#methodology","evidence":"/#evidence","privacy":"/privacy/","product_status":"/v1/product","internal_admin":"/admin/"}}