New online tool VoteInformer aims to cut through election noise with facts, not promises

With the federal election less than a week away, a Nova Scotia-based civic tech company is hoping a new tool will help Canadians move past political rhetoric and make decisions based on facts—real ones.

Enter VoteInformer, a free, non-partisan online tool created by two friends with science and tech backgrounds who were tired of feeling confused about where they stood politically. Rather than sorting voters by talking points or party platforms, VoteInformer does something different: it tracks how political parties and candidates have actually behaved in office.

The project comes from Baye Labs, a software company co-founded by Blair Ellis and Michael Traynor. Built in their spare time as a passion project, VoteInformer grew out of a simple question.

“We care about the political landscape, but we often felt under-informed,” said Ellis in a release. “We’d be in conversations with friends or family, watching polarization grow, or getting into debates and suddenly ask ourselves, ‘Wait, where is my own opinion actually coming from?’ That question sparked this project.”

Unlike many other election tools, VoteInformer doesn’t make predictions or endorsements. Instead, it presents data pulled directly from public records and government sources, allowing users to explore how parties and MPs have voted on key issues over time. The site links back to every source and encourages users to read more and flag anything that looks off.

The result? A fact-based, accessible entry point for anyone who wants to go beyond headlines or campaign slogans.

“[This tool isn’t] about telling you who to vote for,” said Traynor. “It’s about sparking curiosity and giving you a solid starting point to dig deeper.”

And while the tool is still in its early stages—self-funded and very much a work in progress—the team is inviting users to send feedback on how it can evolve to be even more useful.

While the creators stress researching platforms and attending townhalls should still be part of civic literacy, the tool helps create transparency in the political process.

With the election fast approaching April 28, VoteInformer offers a no-cost, low-barrier way for Canadians to better understand the political landscape before heading to the polls.

VoteInformer is available now at voteinformer.ca. The creators hope curious voters across the country will give it a try—and help shape what comes next.