News story

Polling station game brings voting to life

Plymouth, UK29 Apr 2015Learning NewsSponge

A polling station is the unlikely setting for a new online game aimed at bringing the experience of voting to life for first-time voters.

With around a million[i] young people expected to cast their vote for the first time in the UK general election on May 7, the game offers them a taste of the polling station experience.

Award-winning elearning company, Sponge UK, has produced the free game as a fun way to engage people in voting and debunk some of the myths about the polling station.  

It is called First Past the Post puts the player in the role of a first-time voter who has suddenly remembered it is Election Day with just 5 minutes until the close of polls. 

They must get to the polling station in time, overcome a series of challenges including identifying incorrect ballot papers and spotting people who are breaking the polling station rules, and then get home again before their dinner gets cold. 

Managing Director of Sponge UK, Louise Pasterfield, said: “Earlier this year, I went on a visit to the Houses of Parliament and heard a bill being read out. 

“Seeing democracy in action was inspiring and I wanted to do something to encourage people to exercise their right to vote. 

“Voting at a poll station is pretty straight-forward but there are a few things to bear in mind, so the game highlights some of these while injecting an element of fun. 

“I hope that people who have never set foot inside a polling station before will learn something from the game as well as enjoy the challenge.” 

Sponge UK specialises in creating bespoke elearning games for large businesses and organisations which can help staff develop their skills and improve their performance. 

The company’s Game Developer, Jason Butler, said: “We’ve combined game techniques with quirky illustrations to create a fun learning game. 

 “It’s built using the HTML Phaser game tool so it’s fully functional on desktop, mobiles or tablets.” 

Sponge UK is one of the UK’s leading elearning companies and was named Elearning Development Company of the Year at the Elearning Awards in 2014. 

The game is available via the Sponge UK website at www.spongeuk.com/electiongame

Players are being encouraged to share their scores on social media using #UKElectionGame.

[i] According to research by YouGov for British Future.