Voter relief in sight--one-stop access to information on all federal election candidates in 109 languages on YouCount.ca Français
VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 3, 2021 /CNW/ - A team of 90+ young Canadians from across the country collaborated online to createYouCount.ca, a non-partisan, not-for-profit digital platform dedicated to providing easy access to information on the country's political representatives and political institutions. With polling day set for September 20, YouCount.ca today launched its federal election module, which is fast becoming the most trusted resource allowing candidates to provide voter-demanded information and voters to access and compare candidate information in all 338 electoral districts across Canada.
YouCount.ca is the brainchild of Faye Ying, Executive Director of GLOCAL Foundation of Canada. "We built YouCount.ca to counter the simultaneous problems of information overload, misinformation, and difficult-to-access information. As a young Canadian from an immigrant family looking to engage in the civic affairs of the country, I saw that I could help to make essential public information more accessible by developing digital tools."
Accessible in 109 languages, YouCount.ca features a searchable database of political representatives at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels. Users simply have to enter a postal code, address, or name of a landmark to find information about their local candidates.
"We know that even the smallest barriers can frustrate people who want to vote, but think they don't have enough information about the parties, the candidates, or even the rules, such as required ID. Our goal is to get as much of that information as possible in one place, with links to the original––like a phone book meets the library's reference section, but all in one spot online. If YouCount.ca removes even a little of the friction that stops people from voting, our job will be done," says Dr. Carla Caruana, Research Director of GLOCAL.
This federal election module follows an official launch of YouCount.ca in 2020 and earlier pilot projects on provincial elections in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia, and benefits all Canadian citizens and residents.
"As a new immigrant, YouCount.ca has been a lifesaver when it comes to navigating an unfamiliar political landscape. It has helped me get up to speed quickly and feel more connected to my new home country––Canada," says GLOCAL's Indigenous Matters Coordinator, Stephanie Lowe.
"I envision YouCount.ca becoming a critical and invaluable resource in building a Canada where citizens of all ages are politically aware, engaged, and have a sense of belonging and fulfillment," says Ying.
The platform is also developing an interactive Q&A forum (Ask Eager Beaver), e-toolkits and trivia quizzes for users to engage with political representatives and to learn about Canada's democratic institutions.
Today, GLOCAL releases fun data on the federal election: John/Jean is the most common first name among all 2010 candidates, and the electoral district of Saint Boniface—Saint Vital (Manitoba) has the most candidates (21), while Nunavut and Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame (Quebec) have the least candidates (3).
Visit YouCount.ca today to access important information about Canada's political system and political representatives.
About GLOCAL Foundation of Canada
GLOCAL Foundation of Canada, a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization that seeks to promote civic participation with strengthened global awareness and local engagement through YouCount.ca.
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SOURCE GLOCAL Foundation of Canada
Rohil Sharma, Project Manager, GLOCAL, [email protected], 778-893-2095, www.glocalfoundation.ca; Audrey Plé, Communicator and Coach, Magenta Marketing Inc., [email protected], 604-506-2266, www.magentamarketing.ca
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