Vote Compass: A political guide to the 2018 provincial election

A new online tool is being introduced inNew Brunswick for the first time to help voters determinewhat political parties theirviews align with.

Vote Compass is an online quiz that asksvoters 30 questions about election-related issues such astax rates, health care andimmigrationand suggests the party their views align with most.

• To take the online quiz, click here.

The online tool owned by Toronto-based company,Vox Pop Labs was mostly recently used in the Ontario election and has been used in 25 electionsby more than 12.5 million people worldwide. Quebec and Brazil will also be using Vote Compass at the same time as New Brunswick.

However, Vote Compass does not tell a voter how to vote in an election.

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Charles Breton, director of research atVoxPop LabsBreton, said Vote Compass ismeantbe used as an informative tool.

And it doesn't measure polling either. He said the data is only used by CBC, Radio-Canada and academics and the answers are anonymous.

Fun for voters

Breton said people should use Vote Compass because it's fun.

CBC will also use Vote Compass as a tool for reporting on the election in September.

"You can do Vote Compass without telling us about your social demographics," he said.

How and why to use Vote Compass

6 years ago

Duration 1:07

The online tool will identify voters' top issues before next month's provincial election.

Jamie Gillies, an associate professor of communications and public policy at St. Thomas University, said Vote Compass is an interesting tool available to voters and academics alike.

"I think it helps voters and parties interact, where you are looking at policy issues versus just the horse race," he said.

He said he sees it as both an educational tool and vote-informing tool.

Gillies said the questions that have been selected are specific to this province and voters get an opportunity to think critically about those policies and make better informed decisions.