Kelowna man creates candidate quiz ahead of 2026 municipal election

A Kelowna resident has created an online quiz to make it easier for people to learn about candidates in the 2026 municipal election. Giuseppe Gaspari, founder of Kelowna-based digital marketing agency Zio Advertising, said he became more interested in how the city works after his child was born this year. He said he cares about the kind of city his son will grow up in. For about two weeks, Gaspari spent his free time after work and other responsibilities building the 23-question quiz, available at zioadvertising.com/kelowna-election-2026.

The quiz is intended to help users identify council and mayoral candidates whose views align with theirs. Gaspari said it draws on what candidates have actually voted for and said. His wife took it and now feels more confident about whom she will vote for on Oct. 17. Gaspari said the idea came from his own and other residents’ experience navigating the bureaucratic language of municipal politics. He believes confusion contributes to lower local election participation.

In Kelowna’s 2022 municipal election, 30 per cent of eligible voters cast a ballot. That was about average for a city of its size; Kamloops had a 30 per cent turnout and Surrey had 32 per cent. Gaspari said more residents need to vote if they want local change. He described local elections as an area where people can make a positive impact. He also said taking part in municipal politics may help ease feelings of helplessness associated with online discourse, which he said often focuses on federal issues or foreign affairs such as American politics. In local elections, he said, a vote is one of about 200,000 rather than one of 30 million, and he wants people to take advantage of matters within their control. He said the quiz aims to narrow the information gap between a responsible voter and a random voter.

Gaspari said the quiz is based on a full record of contested council votes over the past four years, compiled from local news reports. He collected votes on about 90 items that came before council. For candidates without a voting record, he used information from interviews, election forums and campaign websites. Topics include housing, growth, homelessness, public safety, taxes and city spending, commuting, and climate action.

Gaspari said the website publishes the resources, methodology and voting information used to create the quiz. Candidates who believe their positions are represented inaccurately can contact him through the site. The quiz also notes that the amount of available information differs among candidates. Gaspari said he is not promoting a political slate and encourages people to do more research after taking the quiz. The site explains its non-partisan commitment, where positions came from, that it does not infer candidates’ positions, how matching works, and how to submit corrections.

Kelowna’s 2026 municipal election is scheduled for Oct. 17. Advance voting in Kelowna opens Wednesday, Oct. 7. The City of Kelowna also has a quiz to help people distinguish among local, provincial and federal government responsibilities.