Federal election 2025:
Your Vote Compass
A tool that shows you how your views align with those of the candidates
By Patricia Dumais
April 9, 2025
It is a citizen’s duty to vote in government elections and to be aware of the platforms of the parties from which they will choose a candidate. Unfortunately, our hectic lifestyles afford us little time to do the research, and more often than not, we vote without having done our homework.
Back in 2011, during the Canadian Federal Election, I discovered an interactive online application called Vote Compass.
About 30 questions on contemporary political issues, taking roughly 10 minutes to finish.
Developed and operated by statistical scientists from Vox Pop Labs, Vote Compass is commissioned by some of the most respected media organizations in the world, including the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).
This year, the CBC is again running Vote Compass for the upcoming Federal Elections to help voters determine how they fit in the political landscape. Vote Compass was made available during many elections across the globe, including the United States Presidential Election and the French Presidential Election, and used by millions of people.
It’s easy and it’s quick to do, but keep in mind that Vote Compass is not a poll, nor is it meant to tell you how to vote. Political scientists developed this tool with the goal of sparking debate and engaging voters.
How to use Vote Compass
You launch Vote Compass by indicating your postal code, which determines your district, electorate or riding. With no login and no registration, you keep control of your info.
You then take the quiz, which is typically 30 questions and takes about 10 minutes to complete. It also includes an open-ended question: “What issue is most important to you in this election?” Once you finish, Vote Compass analyses your responses and compares them with the policies of the candidates.
‘Vote Compass helps voters determine how they fit in the political landscape.’
Within seconds, your Vote Compass results show you how your views compare to the policy proposals of the candidates and help you understand how you fit into the political landscape. You can see where you agree and disagree with each of the candidates.
Vote Compass even allows you to dive deep into the platforms of each party or candidate with comparisons by topic, candidate statements, and options to weight the issues most important to you.
The methodology behind Vote Compass in a nutshell
Using a Likert scale, a psychometric tool used to measure attitudes, opinions, or perceptions through a series of statements evaluated on a symmetric agree-disagree continuum, users indicate their responses to a series of policy propositions designed to discriminate between candidates’ policies on prominent issues relevant to the election.
Voters express their positions on key policy issues through a series of statements, which are then compared to candidates’ or parties’ publicly available stances (e.g., manifestos, speeches). Algorithms analyze these responses to determine alignment between voters and political platforms.
For more information on Vote Compass and to participate, visit Vote Compass
Feature image: Walt Stoneburner via StockPholio.net
Patricia Dumais is co-editor and artistic director of WestmountMag.ca. A graduate of the marketing and advertising program at the HEC in Montreal, her career includes roles in the film industry and positions at several design and advertising agencies in Montreal. pdumais@westmountmag.ca
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