On Monday, May 29 Alberta will go to the polls to determine our next Legislative Assembly. You may have many questions, such as where, when, and how to vote, or perhaps where you can find your candidates’ stances on issues of greatest concern to you. This blog will answer all of your questions!
Am I eligible to vote?
There are three requirements to vote in Alberta. If you are a Canadian citizen, 18+ years of age, and a resident of Alberta, you are eligible to vote. This includes those who may have a criminal record or are currently incarcerated (even if incarcerated outside of Alberta). If you are unsure if you qualify as a resident of Alberta, more details can be found on the "Who Can Vote" Elections Alberta page.
Do I have to register to vote?
Yes, in order to vote you must be registered. Don’t worry though, you are able to register on election day at your polling station if you forget! But to save yourself time, it is recommended that you do so in advance, which can be done through Elections Alberta.
How can I vote?
You have several options to vote for this election period.
Voting in Person: On Election Day, you must vote at your designated polling place. If possible, you should bring an accepted form of identification and proof of physical address. If you do not have those documents available to you, you must prove your identity and address another way. Options are having another elector in your area vouch for you, or by having an Attestation Form signed by an authorized signatory.
If you registered to vote in advance, then you will be directed to a voting station where your address and identity will be confirmed by the Voting Officer. After which you may cast your ballot! If you have not registered in advance, you will be directed to the registration station, where a Registration Officer will look at your identification, prepare your ballot, and have you sign a declaration before issuing it to you.
Once you have your ballot, cast your vote by marking an X in the circle next to your preferred candidate. DO NOT mark anywhere else on the ballot, and DO NOT vote for multiple candidates! Even if you think your ballot is very clear about whom you are voting for, additional markings can cause your ballot to be rejected or “spoiled.” Spoiled ballots are not counted towards any candidates’ totals.
Please remember that most voting stations do not allow partisan material within their boundaries. So, you will have to remove any buttons, hats, shirts, or any material that endorses a candidate before you enter a polling station.
Voting in Advance: From May 23-27. If you will be outside of your political riding on the day of the election or wish to skip the long lines that day, advance voting is a perfect solution! You can vote at any advance voting place as each location provides Vote Anywhere Service. You will only be provided a ballot for the electoral division that you reside in, NOT the division you are currently voting in. After you vote, your ballot will be placed in a secrecy folder and tabulated by the election officer. The same rules for identifying yourself at in-person voting apply here as well.
Voting at a Mobile Voting Place: If you are in a long-term care facility, community support centre, or are otherwise a patient, resident, or receiving services at that location, mobile voting stations will be set up to allow you to cast your ballot this election. You do not need identification, but a facility representative must confirm that you are a resident or receiving services at the facility. When the mobile voting team arrives, they will confirm that you are eligible to vote, and have you complete a Mobile Voting Declaration Form before issuing you your ballot. If you are unsure whether your facility will be visited by a mobile voting team, reach out to a staff member at your facility, or Elections Alberta.
Voting By Mail: Under certain conditions, an elector may apply to vote by mail with a special ballot if they cannot vote during the advance voting period (May 23-27) or Election Day (May 29). To vote by mail you must declare your reasons for being unable to vote in the designated periods. To apply for a special ballot, you can use the following application process. The deadline to apply is Monday, May 22 at 6:00 p.m. You will receive a voting package in the mail, which must be filled out properly for your vote to count.
Where do I vote?
Not sure which electoral district you reside in, or where to vote? Your electoral district can be found by using this resource, and your voting location can be found through this link. Remember, electoral districts sometimes undergo minor changes between elections, and you may be in a new district this election!
What if I am too busy to vote?
Life is hectic, but did you know the Alberta Election Act requires employees with time off to vote, with no financial penalties? See more details!
Why can’t I vote for whom I want to be Premier?
In Canada, we use a form of representative democracy called Single Member Plurality (often called “First Past the Post”) in which each electoral district elects a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) to represent them. Most candidates will have an affiliation with a political party, and the leader of the political party with the most MLAs will be named Premier.
If you're unsure about the candidates running in your electoral district, a helpful list is available for you to consult. A candidate’s official party affiliation will be displayed on your ballot. Unfortunately, most parties are not running a full slate of candidates, so depending on where you live, you may have fewer candidates to select from.
What are the political parties, and what do they stand for?
See below for a list of all the declared political parties and how many candidates they are running in this election. The websites for each party are linked so you can see where they stand on the issues most important to you, or contact them if you have questions!
United Conservative Party: 87 candidates.
Alberta New Democratic Party: 87 candidates.
Alberta Green Party: 41 candidates.
Solidarity Movement of Alberta: 38 candidates.
Alberta Party: 19 candidates.
Wildrose Loyalty Coalition: 16 candidates.
Alberta Liberal Party: 15 candidates.
Independence Party of Alberta: 14 candidates.
Alberta Advantage Party: 4 candidates.
Communist Party - Alberta: 3 candidates.
Wildrose Independence Party: 2 candidates.
Buffalo Party: 1 candidate.
Pro-Life Political Association: 1 candidate.
Reform Party: 1 candidate.
What if I don’t like any of the candidates in my electoral district?
Sometimes for various reasons, a person may find themselves unwilling to support any candidates in an election. In this scenario, many folks elect to simply stay home and not cast a ballot, in which case they will have no say in the results of that election. But did you know there’s another way?
If you find yourself unwilling to vote for any of the eligible candidates in your riding, instead of filling out your ballot or staying home on election day, you can return the ballot to the officer who issued it to you and inform them you wish to decline to vote. This is a better option than not voting or spoiling your ballot, as the number of declined ballots is reported as part of the official results. This way, your unsatisfaction with your candidates will be registered.
I am too young, or otherwise ineligible to vote. Can I still get involved?
Yes! Even if you cannot vote, you can still visit your favourite party’s website and volunteer, take a lawn sign, or even join the constituency association. If you are looking for even more ways to get involved, did you know that anybody (regardless of voter eligibility) can sign or even start a petition to submit before the Canadian Parliament? If you have a cause you are passionate about, you should visit the House of Commons Petition website to see what causes are being advocated by Canadian residents, and maybe even start your own!
EPL Picks: Alberta Election 2023
Browse through our EPL Picks: Alberta Elections 2023 to learn more about our province's history, identity, and some of the hot button issues.
