Advance voting has commenced for the historic federal byelection in Alberta’s Battle River-Crowfoot district, marking a significant change as voters are now required to complete a blank ballot. This byelection was triggered by Conservative Damien Kurek’s resignation to allow Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to contest the seat after losing his previous Ottawa seat.
A record-breaking 214 candidates are competing in this byelection, the highest number in Canadian federal election history. Notable candidates include Poilievre, Liberal Darcy Spady, NDP’s Katherine Swampy, Jonathan Bridges from the People’s Party of Canada, Ashley MacDonald representing the Green Party, and independent candidate Bonnie Critchley. Advance polls are open until Monday.
Due to the unprecedented number of candidates, Elections Canada has introduced special write-in ballots instead of the traditional list-style ballot. Voters must manually write the name of their preferred candidate in a designated space, with the option to include the political party name. However, ballots with only the party name will not be considered valid.
Criticism has arisen from individuals like retired Camrose resident Jim Fitzgerald, who found it unusual to write a candidate’s name instead of marking a box. Poilievre expressed frustration towards the Longest Ballot Committee, a group associated with most of the candidates, accusing them of complicating the voting process intentionally.
Poilievre proposed changes to candidate nomination requirements, suggesting candidates should obtain several hundred unique signatures and each have their financial agent. Critchley also criticized the Longest Ballot Committee, emphasizing the importance of candidates residing in the area they seek to represent.
The byelection day is set for August 18, with options for early voting by mail or in person at the local Elections Canada office available until August 12. The campaign continues with candidate forums and ongoing discussions about the electoral process and candidate qualifications.