Vote Compass: A political guide to the 2018 provincial election

A new online tool is being introduced in New Brunswick for the first time to help voters determine what political parties their views align with.

Vote Compass is an online quiz that asks voters 30 questions about election-related issues such as tax rates, health care and immigration and 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 elections by 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.

- 18 months of work readies Elections NB for provincial election

Charles Breton, director of research at Vox Pop LabsBreton, said Vote Compass is meant be 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.

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.