THE forthcoming State election campaign will be the first poll to be conducted with a new form of opinion polling which allows the public instant access to express their views and to interpret the results first hand.
Launched in mid-December, BigPulse.com claims its technology - dubbed "organic polling" - is a world first and the company has applied for a worldwide patent for its concept.
BigPulse founder Ralph McKay said he believed WA was the first true test of use of the technology during an election and he hoped voters would turn to his site to highlight the issues they see as the key to election victory on February 10.
The Sydney-based operation, owned by GarageMoguls.com, another company founded by Mr McKay has established its technology for global usage.
"We were not ready for the US election," Mr McKay said.
"This is quite possibly the first election in the world since the site was launched."
Mr McKay said he did not launch BigPulse to make money, simply hoping the site would attract enough advertising to cover some costs and prompt investors to consider other related GarageMoguls concepts.
He said the concept had been developed by people willing to sacrifice wages for equity.
"We feel this a really big thing."
"Public opinion goes to the core of society and what democracy is all about."
Mr McKay said conventional opinion polls were restricted by access to respondents and the need for a pollster to develop the questions. In addition, someone always has the results, and the ability to interpret them, before the public.
With BigPulse the public sets the agenda and everyone online has access in real time.
He likened BigPulse to the sharemarket.
"You don't know the value of a company until it is floated and freely traded in the marketplace."
"That is the best measure of its true value, regardless of whatever theory is around, it is what people will pay for it that matters."
"So we decided to create a market in public opinion."
"Mr McKay said the site allowed voters to create their own "placards" for which the public could vote, allowing the expression of issues to be refined through voter selection so they "resonate" best with the public.
