Elections Canada announced Monday that the upcoming Battle River-Crowfoot by-election in Alberta will use an adapted ballot requiring voters to write candidate names due to what became a record-breaking 209 candidates registered for the contest.
Voters in the August 18 by-election will write their preferred candidate’s name in a blank space rather than mark a traditional list-style ballot, the federal election agency said. A complete list of candidates will be available at all polling stations to assist voters.
The change aims to accommodate the large field of candidates while maintaining ballot security and integrity, Elections Canada said in a news release. However, the agency warned that some accessibility tools typically available to voters with disabilities will be limited, with Braille voting materials only available on election day rather than during advance polling.
The massive candidate field stems from efforts by the Longest Ballot Committee, a group that has coordinated large-scale candidate registrations in recent elections. As of Sunday evening, 209 candidates had registered by the Monday deadline. The organization previously fielded 91 candidates in Poilievre’s former Carleton riding and has now focused on his new Alberta constituency.
Poilievre has characterized the efforts as a “scam” and called for legislative reforms to address what he views as electoral manipulation.
The modified ballot format may delay the reporting of election results due to the additional time needed to process write-in votes, Elections Canada noted.
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One Response
Epic crybaby. As if 208 people nobody’s ever heard of could make a dent in the gravity Poilivere has from name recognition alone.
If he had any heart, he’s do a media hit with every single one of them, and cinch the landslide. But he doesn’t. And he’s lazy besides. Here’s hoping he loses. Again.