Looking for a candidate in Finland's parliamentary election on 2 April? Then try the English-language version of Yle's election compass.
The compass aims to help voters learn more about the various parties and find the most suitable candidates.
By answering a series of questions, people can find the parties and candidates that are most in line with their thinking. There are many big issues on the table in this election, including the environment, the economy, social and health care services, Nato, as well as gender issues.
Voters in Finland use election compasses to examine their own — as well as the candidates' — opinions about issues that matter to them.
You can find Yle's 2023 parliamentary election compass in English here.
The compass also tries to educate people about the country's various political parties and how they differ.
For this election, Yle is offering the election compass in a number of languages, including Finnish, Swedish, Northern Sámi, English, Russian and Arabic. The different language versions can be accessed by scrolling to the bottom of the compass and changing the settings.
In this edition of the All points North podcast, Yle Producer Ville Laakso explains what you need to know about the election compass. Election compass segment starts at 10:40.
Compass simplified
Navigating the compass is simple. It offers a series of statements asking users to agree or disagree. As those answers build, the compass gradually finds parties and candidates which most closely share those positions and opinions, according to Aki Kekäläinen, the chief designer of the election compass.
The closer the answers are to each other, the greater the compatibility. The distance is calculated from each statement to which the user of the election compass has answered.
This year Yle is also offering a party compass, which helps users identify which parties are most closely aligned with their views. Although voters can only vote for one candidate, the candidate's party benefits from that vote. So it's important to know how the majority of the candidates on a party list might think before deciding who to vote for.
Kekäläinen, who is also the head of democracy and digitalisation at Yle News Lab, said the party compass has stripped away a lot of the features used in the candidate compass.
"For the first time, we are trying an even simpler method. So, responses to the statements are either 'yes,' 'no' or 'skip,'" he explained.
The list of statements were compiled by a broad group of Yle journalists. Discussions about their composition and content have taken place during editorial meetings, alongside policymakers and researchers.
Yle News' really simple guide to the 2023 parliamentary elections is available here.
Straightforward statements
Efforts were also made to remove ambiguity from the statements, as it can prompt responses, and users need to clearly understand what is being said and asked of them. Also, the designers tried not to taint the statements in such a way that would guide users to answer one way or another.
In other words, the statements in the compass are meant to be simple and straightforward.
The statements themselves were based on suggestions from a number of sources, including tips from Yle's audience. However, there was not enough room for all of the issues that people suggested.
The statements and issues were selected for the compass based on their distinctiveness and journalistic value.
Unlike Finland's county- or municipal elections, citizenship is required to vote in parliamentary elections. Finland's legal voting age is 18.
Election Day is 2 April, with advance voting from 22-28 March in Finland and 22-25 March abroad.
This year, a number of media outlets are participating in the election compass, including: HSS Media, Västra Nyland, Apu, Maaseudun Tulevaisuus, Åbo Underrättelser, Nya Åland, Ålands Radio, Landsbygdens Folk, Hilla Group and Suomen Kuvalehti.
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