Vote Compas shows you how your views align with those of the political parties
By Patricia Dumais
August 27, 2026
Voting in a provincial election is both a right and a civic responsibility. Making an informed choice also means learning about the policies and priorities of the parties and candidates seeking your vote. But in the rush of everyday life, many of us do not have time to compare platforms in detail before heading to the polls.
Québec voters will go to the polls on Monday, October 5, 2026. The provincial campaign is now underway, making this a good time to explore the issues and choices on the ballot.
Vote Compass is not a poll or voting guide. It is an educational tool that helps voters explore policy issues, compare party positions and engage with the election.
One resource worth watching for is Vote Compass, an interactive online questionnaire developed by political scientists and operated by Vox Pop Labs. It is typically offered in partnership with CBC/Radio-Canada and is designed to help voters compare their views with the positions of political parties.
Vote Compass is not a poll, and it does not recommend how to vote. Rather, it is an educational tool intended to encourage people to think about public-policy questions, compare party positions and engage more actively with the election. CBC’s Québec Vote Compass has previously helped users identify the parties that most closely align with their views across a range of issues. Its results also provided issue-by-issue comparisons, explanations of party positions and links to the public sources used to assess those positions.
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.
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 complete a short questionnaire—often around 30 policy statements—by indicating whether you agree or disagree, usually on a scale. The questionnaire may also invite you to identify the issue that matters most to you in 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.
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 candidate.
Vote Compass also lets you dive deep into each party’s or candidate’s platform with topic-by-topic comparisons, candidate statements, and options to weight the issues most important to you.
For more information on Vote Compass and to participate, visit Vote Compass
Feature image: Walt Stoneburner – 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
