New Democratic Youth of Alberta

The following is a letter sent by the Alberta NDP to the Chief Electoral Officer this afternoon. ————————— Dear Mr. McClure, In Alberta, Elections Alberta is the steward of the right of Canadian citizens to vote in an election. This inherently entails working to the best of your abilities to ensure access to democracy. With the Lethbridge-West by-election underway, we are concerned that this duty is not being fulfilled. The December 18 election date – selected by the Premier – will occur during an already snowy winter and so close to the Christmas holidays, impacting voter turnout. We understand this was the Premier’s decision. However, ensuring that electors know when and where to vote is an essential duty for Elections Alberta. Voter registration cards are one of the few remaining supports provided by Elections Alberta to promote access to democracy.  We are deeply concerned that Elections Alberta will not send voter cards in Lethbridge-West, meaning electors will not receive the information regarding where and when they can vote, and Elections Alberta has not planned adequately to ensure voters receive this information in light of the ongoing strike at Canada Post.  Elections Alberta’s plan to issue social media posts, and ads through the Lethbridge Herald is constructive, but woefully inadequate.  Seniors, in particular, face unique barriers to enfranchisement in this by-election due to the Premier's cynical decision to call the election in the dead of winter, given icy roads and sidewalks. Seniors are less likely to access information through social media. The Lethbridge Herald does not deliver to all of Lethbridge-West's residents.  Further exacerbating this issue, Elections Alberta has not conducted an enumeration of voters since 2018. And as late as yesterday, Nov 24, the Elections Alberta website had completely incorrect information about voting dates. Given all these challenges, the Alberta NDP calls upon Elections Alberta to conduct robust voter outreach to ensure that all eligible voters have the information they need to vote and to ensure that you fulfill your role in stewarding the right to vote in Alberta through the provision of essential information.  Robust voter outreach would include but not be limited to: billboards and road signs all across the riding, radio ads, and a phoning and texting campaign to registered electors who would be receiving their voter card under normal circumstances. By-elections tend to have lower voter turnout. The Premier’s cynical decision for a winter election so close to Christmas and Hanukkah risks an even lower than typical turnout. It is incumbent on Elections Alberta to ensure that turnout is not low because voters did not know when and where to vote.  We look forward to your response. Sincerely, Garett Spelliscy Executive Director, Alberta NDP Below is a screenshot of information posted on elections.ab.ca as of November 24: