Skip the Line, Not the Vote

Turnout will matter in Alberta’s October referendums. In terms of campaigning, get-out-the-vote (GOTV) efforts may matter more than persuasion, given that the vast majority of Albertans have made up their minds (at least on the separation question).

Unlike previous elections, however, GOTV efforts this summer and fall will confront a new challenge. Beyond getting people to the polls, organizers will need to ensure people stick around long enough to cast a ballot.

Albertans should expect historically long waits at polling places this October. Between the number of referendum ballots involved, recent changes to voter verification processes, and slower-than-hoped recruitment of a record number of election workers, voting on October 19 will take much longer than usual. Albertans accustomed to spending a few minutes at their polling station will likely face hours-long waits.

Bring a chair. Bring food. Bring a book.

These burdens are not felt evenly across the population. Lines will be longer in urban areas. Some people simply cannot afford to wait for hours in line. Parents need to pick up children. Students need to get to class. Shift workers have jobs to get to. Seniors and people with mobility challenges cannot stand or sit for long periods.

Many will arrive, see the line, and leave without voting. Only the most committed and the most available will participate in voting day. This sets up a system of privilege that undermines the high-minded virtues of direct democracy.

This is why advance polls and special ballots* are so important — even for those of us who prefer the practice of same-day voting.

The most effective way to increase turnout across the board is to encourage Albertans to vote before Referendum Day. Every voter who casts a ballot early shortens the lines for everyone else while ensuring their own vote is counted.

Traditional GOTV campaigns often focus on reminding people to vote on Election Day. They help people make a plan, send reminders, and even arrange transportation to the polls. This year, that is simply not enough.

If I were canvassing this summer, I would be carrying around a QR code that links directly to Elections Alberta’s special ballot application so that people can vote by mail. Locking in votes early also has a strategic advantage, in case intervening events change folks’ availability or minds.

Intentionally or not, some Albertans are casting doubt on voting by mail, suggesting it is somehow less secure or more susceptible to fraud than voting in person. These comments are not just coming from far-right populists bent on sowing doubt in our election authorities. They’re coming from well-meaning citizens who say something like, “Well, I’m voting in person because it’s the only way I can trust that my ballot will get where it needs to go or be counted.”

Spouting off about your preference (and privilege) to vote in person can sow doubt where none is warranted.

There is no evidence of this sort of election tampering in Alberta. Special ballots are administered by Elections Alberta under established procedures and are subject to verification and scrutiny before being counted alongside other valid ballots.

More broadly, we should all resist the temptation to undermine confidence in Elections Alberta. It is an independent, non-partisan agency responsible for administering our elections. Casual claims that advance voting or special ballots are somehow less safe have a similar impact to deliberate lies that they are illegitimate forms of voting. Both weaken election integrity and trust in the system.

This October, we should all share the same goal (even if our government does not): making voting as easy as possible for every eligible Albertan while maintaining confidence.

Vote on October 19 if that makes sense for you. Vote at an advance poll or request a special ballot if that’s a better fit.

Here’s a link to order your special ballot; the form takes 30 seconds to complete: https://specialballot.elections.ab.ca/(S(veaidzrqnaiicmjktzxa5tvc))/index/8400

But whatever you do, don’t let a long line or unfounded doubts prevent you or others from having your say.

*Special note: an earlier version of this post equated “mail-in” ballots with “special ballots”. I have clarified that while “special ballots” (voting by mail) are allowed, the government has for whatever reason declared that “the referendum is not to be conducted by mail-in ballot.” They further clarified that this “does not prevent advance voting as defined in the Election Act, or voting by Special Ballot or a Secure Special Ballot as provided for in the Election Act (see OC 160/2026).