MORE THAN 390,000 CANADIANS HAVE ALREADY DISCOVERED WHERE THEY STAND—SO WHERE DO YOU STAND? CBC NEWS AND THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESENT VOTE COMPASS

First time in Canada for interactive tool that lets voters assess their own views and how they align with the political parties

To view the Social Media Release, click here: http://smr.newswire.ca/en/cbc/cbc-news-and-the-university-of-toronto-present-vote

TORONTO, March 28 /PRNewswire/ -

Where do you stand? CBC News has partnered with Vote Compass to launch a unique interactive tool that makes your politics personal to help you decide come decision day. Since the Saturday launch, more than 390,000 Canadians have already participated.

Available for the first time in Canada at cbcnews.ca/votecompass, VOTE COMPASS lets you pinpoint where your views and values align with the political parties—and which party you best align with. The answers could be revealing.

"The Vote Compass community gives Canadians a tool to increase their awareness of the issues and what their own attitudes are," said Jennifer McGuire, general manager and editor in chief, CBC News. "It also gives our news team access to exclusive insight to better understand what Canadians are thinking and feeling."

To become part of the VOTE COMPASS community, Canadians take a 30-question survey, which asks for their opinions about issues such as the environment, the economy and parliamentary reform. At the end of the survey, results reveal which political party best reflects the user's values and views.

Developed by a team of political science researchers at the University of Toronto and overseen by an advisory panel comprised of Canada's more prominent scholars in the study of electoral politics and public opinion, VOTE COMPASS is modelled after similar applications used during European election campaigns for more than a decade. The academic team crafted the questionnaire using social scientific methods and positioned the parties on the basis of a thorough analysis of their publicly-available statements. "Vote Compass is intended to make party positions more accessible to Canadian voters," said Clifton van der Linden, executive director of VOTE COMPASS and a doctoral candidate in political science at the University of Toronto. "This tool was designed to engage Canadians in the election discussion in a new way and to help them make informed choices when ultimately deciding which political party best reflects their views."

Throughout the 2011 Federal Election campaign, CBC News will provide exclusive ongoing access to VOTE COMPASS results with expert analysis. Updates will reveal insights related to:

• National and regional voting patterns—telling us which party most Canadians align with in terms of their views and values
• Strength (or vulnerability) of party leaders
• Which issues matter most to Canadians in each region

CBCNews.ca/canadavotes

Online at Canada's # 1 news site, Canadians can turn to CBCNews.ca/canadavotes for round-the-clock election news and features, riding and leader profiles, citizen bloggers and CBC News' Reality Check blog. And whether you're at your desk or on your device, instantly get the latest political news with the recently released CBC News Mobile App for iPhone, Android and BlackBerry.

About CBC News

For 75 years, CBC News has been the source Canadians turn to, to keep them informed about their communities, their country and their world. Through regional and national programming on multiple platforms, including CBC Television, CBC News Network, CBC Radio, CBCNews.ca, mobile and on-demand, CBC News and its internationally recognized team of award-winning journalists deliver the breaking stories, the issues, the analysis and the personalities that matter to Canadians. In 2011, CBC/Radio-Canada is celebrating 75 years of serving Canadians and being at the centre of the democratic, social and cultural life of Canada. 

/NOTE TO EDITORS: Media Assets accompanying this story are available as follows:

Photo:  http://smr.newswire.ca/media/articles/1186/electionvote-300x250-v5.jpg

Videos:

1)     http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/mmnr/smr/VOTE_COMPASS_SD_MX_FINA_256K_Stream.flv

2)     http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/mmnr/smr/VOTE_COMPASS.flv /

SOURCE Canadian Broadcasting Corporation