In the upcoming byelection for the Battle River-Crowfoot riding in Alberta, voters will be required to write in the name of their chosen candidate, as announced by Elections Canada on Monday. This procedural shift follows the closure of the deadline for candidate nominations, which saw more than 200 individuals sign up to run, largely thanks to the initiative spearheaded by the Longest Ballot Committee. This committee gained momentum during the April federal election, where the riding was previously held by Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, who subsequently lost that election.
The Longest Ballot Committee aims to reform election laws by advocating for the establishment of a citizens assembly that would be responsible for developing a new electoral system. Their argument centers around the idea that political parties are often hesitant to facilitate a government structure that adequately represents the diverse makeup of the electorate.
The list of candidates in Battle River-Crowfoot includes notable figures such as Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, Liberal candidate Darcy Spady, NDP’s Katherine Swampy, representatives from the United Party of Canada, the Libertarian Party of Canada, and the Christian Heritage Party of Canada. Voters will find a list of all candidates at polling stations on the election day.
When casting their votes, citizens must write down the name of the candidate they wish to vote for, instead of selecting a political party. This vote will be recorded in the presence of a witness, ensuring that all conventional security and integrity measures typically associated with ballots are upheld.
On August 18, the complete ballot for Battle River-Crowfoot will be accessible to voters, with Elections Canada clarifying that any adapted ballot, which distinctly names a candidate rather than a party, will be counted in the presence of a witness. For those requiring accessibility aids, Elections Canada confirms that tools such as a candidate list and a voting template in braille will be made available; however, specific tools will only be accessible on the election day.
This byelection was prompted by the resignation of Conservative MP Damien Kurek, which allowed Poilievre to pursue this new electoral opportunity. The previous election had seen an unprecedented ballot length of 91 candidates, spanning approximately one meter. If the current byelection proceeds as anticipated, the ballot could potentially exceed two meters in length.
Residents of the Battle River-Crowfoot constituency, which includes regions ranging from the central Alberta-Saskatchewan border to southern Alberta, are encouraged to participate in the electoral process. Citizens wishing to vote by mail have until August 12 to apply for mail-in voting.
