Poilievre battles Canada's biggest ballot ever in Alberta showdown

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Advance voting has begun in Alberta's Battle River–Crowfoot byelection , where Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is fighting to return to Parliament , and battling the largest federal ballot in Canadian history.The race features 214 candidates, forcing Elections Canada to scrap the traditional printed ballot in favor of a blank write-in sheet. Voters must handwrite the name of their preferred candidate, a change officials say is necessary to handle the unprecedented list.The vote was triggered when Conservative MP Damien Kurek stepped down just weeks after winning in April, clearing the way for Poilievre, who lost his longtime Ottawa seat of Carleton in the general election.Alongside Poilievre are Liberal Darcy Spady, NDP's Katherine Swampy, the People's Party's Jonathan Bridges, Green Ashley MacDonald, independent Bonnie Critchley, and more than 200 others, many tied to the Longest Ballot Committee, a group pushing electoral reform.Poilievre accused the group of 'flooding the ballot' with candidates who aren't campaigning, making voting more confusing and time-consuming. 'They just want to inundate the ballot to confuse the situation,' he said, calling for reforms to raise nomination requirements and force each candidate to have their own financial agent.Independent candidate Critchley agreed the tactic was disruptive, noting that some contenders don't even live in the riding.Campaigning across the rural riding, Poilievre says voters are frustrated with Ottawa's treatment of Alberta, particularly on resource issues. 'The era of 'pay up and shut up' has got to come to an end,' he told reporters in Calgary.Advance polls run until Monday(August 11) . Early voting by mail or at the local Elections Canada office is open until Aug. 12. Election day is Aug. 18.When voters arrive at advance polling stations, they are handed a blank sheet and a coil-bound, 32-page laminated booklet listing every candidate alphabetically by surname. To cast a ballot, they must handwrite their chosen candidate's name.Spelling errors are acceptable as long as the voter's intent is clear, according to Elections Canada. However, a ballot listing only a political party, without the candidate's name, will not be counted.While Battle River–Crowfoot is historically one of the safest Conservative ridings in Canada, the unusual ballot format and massive candidate list create a degree of uncertainty.For Poilievre, the outcome is more than just about winning a seat, it's about regaining a platform in the House of Commons after being shut out since April. His return is crucial for his leadership visibility and for keeping the Conservative opposition active in Parliament.