The creator of a new voter engagement tool is calling on Port Moody-Coquitlam candidates to sign up to VoteMate.org and fill out their profiles so voters in the riding can see who is running in the May 9 provincial election.
But Laef Kucheran won't be using the app himself for this election.
He's only 15.
Roughly a third of B.C.'s 372 provincial candidates have sent in their profiles to VoteMate BC, according to app creator Kucheran, including most of the candidates running in the three other Tri-City ridings.
But in the riding of PoMo-Coquitlam, the contact, biography and vision for BC NDP's Rick Glumac, BC Liberal Linda Reimer and BC Greens' Don Barthel are all empty.
"We've got politicians from several parties, including the Greens, NDP and [BC] Liberals as well as the Libertarians, BC Cascadia Party and YPP — people can now compare the platforms [of all the parties] with one simple scroll," Kucheran told The Tri-City News.
He started the project as a way to connect voters with candidates and said the public response to his creation has been enthusiastic — and not just among young people.
"From the impression I've gotten from emails, it's varied across from younger to older ages," he said.
Probably the most important feature of VoteMate BC is the exhaustive list of more than two dozen topics that allows people to compare party platforms, state whether they think they are important, share them with others and even ask a candidate a question.
You can compare what the BC Liberals and the NDP say about ride-hailing services such as Uber, for example, or what the parties will do to make housing more affordable. VoteMate BC includes the policies of parties that don't typically get a lot of media attention, such as the BC Libertarians.
The app also lays out party stands on economic issues such as trade and liquified natural gas, environmental issues such as climate change, and social issues, including children in care, tuition fees and daycare.
It's so detailed, VoteMate BC could become an essential guide for voters looking to make an informed decision.
"You can take the platform stuff and use that to determine who you most align with," Kucheran explained.
The app also enables users to contact candidate directly to ask questions, and to find out if there is an all-candidates meeting in your riding (see story on page 4 for info on the remaining Tri-City meetings). It will even help you get registered if you aren't on the voters' list yet.
Kucheran, who is in Grade 10 in School District 43's Inquiry Hub and still too young to vote, says the project has been fun, although it has taken up most of his time of late.
He also credits his brother, Alin, and his friend Stefan Clarinval for help with the app design, plus support for getting the app on onto Google Play and iPhone from Brandon Mayhew, who also attends Inquiry Hub.
