ElectNext: beta widget test runs on Philly.com for Primaries, hires former Code for America fellow John Mertens

The Pennsylvania Primary came and went without too much fanfare, but that’s hardly likely for the actual presidential election.

But ElectNext generated a bit of fanfare of its own. In addition to announcing a hiring party for their new CTO, former Code for America fellow John Mertens, ElectNext tested its candidate matcher beta widget on Philly.com on Primary day.

The widget serves up a series of questions about political issues and asks you to “strong disagree,” “disagree,” “agree,” or “strongly agree.” On each question page you can see a “pro” and “con” opinion from other users and, once you’ve answered, a graph of how others have responded to the question.

Based on your answers the widget presents your top presidential matches.

ElectNext is a GoodCompany Ventures graduate and a DreamIt graduate of the fall 2011 class, as Technically Philly previously reported. The startup, led by founder Keya Dannenbaum, now resides in the Project Liberty Digital Incubator, a project of the Philadelphia Media Network.

The effort to connect a Project Liberty-housed startup’s product with Philly.com is billed as a major success of the first-year incubator, said Greg Osberg, the publisher of Philadelphia Media Network.

The political matching widget’s success yesterday will help ElectNext prepare the tool for subsequent primaries and the general election come fall, says founder Keya Dannenbaum.