Advance polls open in federal byelection in Alberta riding of Battle River-Crowfoot
For the first time ever, Elections Canada will require voters to fill out a blank ballot.
The agency lists a record 214 candidates running in the rural riding, with the official voting day set for Aug. 18.
The majority of the candidates are part of the Longest Ballot Committee, a protest group calling for various changes to Canada's electoral system.
Prime Minister Mark Carney called the byelection in June after Conservative Damien Kurek, who handily won the seat in the April general election, stepped down so Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre could run.
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Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, seen here at a Thursday press conference in Calgary, is hoping to be able to return to the House of Commons by winning the federal byelection in the riding of Battle River-Crowfoot. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Poilievre lost his long-held Ottawa seat of Carleton in the last federal election, held on April 28, 2025.
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The byelection also features Liberal candidate Darcy Spady, the NDP's Katherine Swampy and Independent Bonnie Critchley.
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Elections Canada says there have been some exceptions to its regular ballot.
Adapted ballots with two columns have been used in elections with a higher-than-usual number of candidates.
In this byelection, it's not just marking an x. Voters must handwrite the name of their preferred candidate in a blank space.
'Their vote will be counted, even if they misspell the candidate's name,' said Elections Canada spokesperson Matthew McKenna.
'They can also include the name of the political party. However, if they write only the name of a political party, their ballot cannot be counted. The candidate's name has to be there,' said McKenna.
A list of all candidates in large-print will be at polling stations for electors to refer to, added McKenna.
The agency's website also said magnifiers and large-grip pencils will be available.
Poll workers have been given extra training and McKenna said there are ways they can assist electors with ballots.
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Poilievre calls 'longest ballot' protest in his new riding a 'scam'
Poilievre repeated his frustration Thursday with the longest ballot initiative.
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More than 90 candidates were on the ballot when the Conservative leader ran in the riding of Carleton.
'I don't have a problem with anyone who wants to run for office, even if they're not known or not wealthy,' he said at a news conference in Calgary on Thursday.
'But that's not what these people are doing. They just want to inundate the ballot to confuse the situation, make it harder for people to vote,' added Poilievre. 'People with vision problems, the elderly, others who have difficulty now will have a harder time voting.'
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