A Squamish resident has launched a free website to help voters compare candidates ahead of the October 17 municipal election.
Jeff Kirdeikis created SquamishVoters.com, which brings together candidate positions, questionnaire responses and voting records for residents choosing a mayor and six councillors.
The website covers all 18 candidates: three running for mayor and 15 seeking council seats. It includes a 17-question quiz on local issues and side-by-side comparisons with links to sources.
“I wanted one place where anyone in Squamish, whether that’s a busy parent or my grandparents’ generation, could find out where the candidates actually stand in a few minutes,” Kirdeikis said in a news release.
“It doesn’t endorse anyone. Candidates are listed alphabetically, the same as on the ballot. If we can’t find a public position, the site says so rather than guessing.”
Every candidate was sent the same 35-question questionnaire. In an October 2 update, Kirdeikis said all three mayoral candidates and ten council candidates had answered in full. Their responses are published unedited.
The guide also includes voting records for councillors seeking re-election and a printable ballot list. Topics include housing, taxes, homelessness, parking, growth and the Woodfibre LNG tax agreement.
Kirdeikis describes the project as non-partisan and says he funds it personally. He said it has no advertising, quiz answers remain on the user’s device, and the code and scoring method are publicly available for scrutiny.
The website also provides voting information ahead of the October 17 election.
