If you're curious about how your views on campaign issues line up with the platforms of Alberta's major parties, you're in luck. CBC's Vote Compass is back for the 2019 Alberta election.

The tool is designed by political scientists and includes questions on a range of issues. Based on your answers, you'll learn how your opinions compare in real-time to the platforms of the Alberta Party, Alberta Liberal Party, Freedom Conservative Party, New Democratic Party and United Conservative Party.

Vote Compass was developed by Vox Pop Labs, an independent, non-partisan group of social researchers and data scientists. Neither Vote Compass nor Vox Pop Labs are affiliated with any political organization or interest group.

So before you vote in the provincial election that was called for April 16, 2019, here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about Vote Compass:

Q: Does Vote Compass tell me how to vote?

A: Vote Compass is not designed to influence voter behaviour or predict how users intend to vote. It's designed to foster voter engagement and encourage discussion on issues related to the provincial election. All voters decide for themselves which party is most appropriate to represent them based on various criteria — not all of which are included in Vote Compass.

Q: According to Elections Alberta, there are 12 registered political parties in Alberta. Why don't they all appear in Vote Compass?

A: By default, Vote Compass includes those political parties that were represented within a given jurisdiction at the conclusion of its previous election. A political party may also be included if it meets all of the following conditions:

It is registered under the jurisdiction's elections commission.

It fields candidates in a majority of ridings.

it has a fully developed platform.

it participates, where necessary, in the consultative process undertaken to determine its positions on the issues reflected in Vote Compass.

Q: How does Vote Compass determine the positions of the parties?

A: Party responses to each of the questions in Vote Compass are derived through careful research of the party platforms along with consultations between the academic team and the parties themselves. See Vote Compass methodology for details.

Q: How does Vote Compass figure out my results?

A: Vote Compass figures out your alignment with the political parties by comparing your responses to the questionnaire with the parties' positions on the same issues.

Q: Why does Vote Compass place me closest to a party that I don't intend to vote for?

A: Vote Compass is not intended to predict which party a person intends to vote for in a given election nor which party a person feels that she or he is most closely aligned with. It specifies how the person is aligned with each of the parties on the basis of the public policy issues included in Vote Compass.