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Adapted Write-in Ballots to Handle Record 210 Candidates in Alberta Byelection

Elections Canada says the write-in ballots will safeguard voter access through clearer design in a contest flooded by protest candidacies.

A campaign sign for independent candidate Bonnie Critchley next to signs for Pierre Poilievre and Darcy Spady in the riding of Battle River-Crowfoot in Camrose, Alta., on July 22, 2025.
A voter leaves a polling station after casting a ballot in the federal election in Calgary on Monday, April 28, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Image
Conservative Party of Canada candidate Pierre Poilievre speaks as Green Party of Canada candidate Ashley MacDonald, left, and Liberal Party of Canada candidate Darcy Spady, right, listen during the Battle RiverÐCrowfoot byelection candidate forum in Camrose, Alta. on Tuesday, July 29, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

Overview

  • More than 210 candidates have been officially registered as of July 30, breaking the previous federal record of 91 and driven largely by the Longest Ballot Committee’s protest campaign.
  • To avoid a cumbersome metre-long list, Elections Canada will deploy write-in ballots at all polling stations for the Aug. 18 vote, requiring electors to hand-write the name of their chosen candidate.
  • The adapted ballot marks the first general-vote use of write-ins, with clear-intent rules ensuring votes count even if names are misspelled.
  • Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is campaigning in the riding after losing Carleton and has written to government House leader Steven MacKinnon urging reforms to nomination thresholds and agent limits.
  • Officials say the write-in process may slow vote counting but preserves accessibility for voters with disabilities and eases logistical burdens in the sprawling rural riding.