Latest news with #LongestBallotCommittee
a day ago
- Politics
Alberta farmers in this conservative stronghold feel conflicted as Battle River-Crowfoot byelection nears
Harvey Nahirniak walks toward his paddock of cattle, his tall rubber boots caked with rich, black soil. Cows, dusted with mud, huff in the afternoon heat. His beloved workhorses stand in the sun like statues while the farm's fat, white guardian dog, Marvin, pants in the shade. Nahirniak's expertise lies in crops and cattle. His family has farmed the same stretch of land in the sleepy hamlet of Round Hill, Alta., for generations. Election signs, many conservative blue, dot the roadsides of the rolling hills that surround his property in the heart of the Battle River-Crowfoot riding, where a byelection is underway. While at first reluctant to talk politics, Nahirniak has come to some strong conclusions about the unusual federal race now underway within the vast federal district he calls home. I have a feeling we're going to lose some of our representation, the 78-year-old said. I think we're kind of at the losing end. Advance polls in the byelection opened Friday with a special ballot to accommodate the record number of candidates competing against Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre. Voters head to the polls Aug. 18. Enlarge image (new window) Harvey and Marjorie Nahirniak pose with their dog, Marvin, as they share coffee on their porch overlooking their family farm. The couple have diverging opinions on how the crowded byelection has played out so far. Photo: CBC / Wallis Snowdon Nahirniak believes Poilievre will sweep the byelection, but he's unsure residents like him will benefit from the change. He won't have time to listen to our problems because, being in his position in Ottawa, he just won't have time. We had somebody who was available all the time, and they say that it won't change, but we know it will. From Ottawa to Alberta Poilievre's path back to the House of Commons runs through the vast riding and the more than 4,000 farms that operate inside its bounds across eastern, southern and central Alberta. Conservative MP Damien Kurek, a former farmer, resigned to allow Poilievre to run as one of 214 candidates in what is the largest federal ballot in Canadian history. Most of the candidates on the ballot are associated with a group of electoral reform advocates known as the Longest Ballot Committee. Kurek served as MP between 2019 and 2025. During a campaign stop in Calgary last week, Poilievre said he's enjoying his time in Alberta's vast prairie heartland. He commended the region's ranchers and industry workers and military members and spoke about the anger many constituents feel toward the treatment Alberta has received from the reigning Liberals in Ottawa. He said he would fight for a better deal for Alberta, with a focus on increased resource production. I'm loving the campaign, he said. I'm having a lot of fun, actually. I love the people of Battle River-Crowfoot. They're the people who feed, power and protect our country. Poilievre has been well-received on the campaign trail, at car shows, community events and candidate debates, and has strong support in the Conservative stronghold. 'Colour-coded' Nahirniak, however, said residents of farming communities like Round Hill no longer feel like a priority to federal conservatives. The region has always been painted conservative blue, but for some like Nahirniak, their loyalties have begun to shift, he said. He describes the crowded ballot as a sad mockery of the electoral process and suggests that federal politics have gone sideways and becoming too adversarial. We grew up being colour-coded, he said. And if you voted for somebody else, you almost felt like a rebel. But it's changing. They're not giving us the same coverage that they used to. Enlarge image (new window) Harvey and Kyle Nahirniak stand together on their family farm. The father and son, work together to manage the family farm. Photo: CBC / Wallis Snowdon Agriculture is the financial backbone of the hardworking riding — with wheat, canola and cattle industries leading the labour force, along with a burgeoning oil and gas industry. The economic pressures on the agricultural sector remain top of mind among residents who make their livelihoods from the land. Producers who spoke with CBC News shared their feelings of disillusionment about the race and their need for increased federal support as Alberta farms face increased financial uncertainty. A 'stepping stone' Nicola and Alan Irving, owner of Irving's Farm Fresh, moved to the county more than 20 years ago and soon after began their pork operation. It's a small-scale operation, with 60 to 80 free-range Berkshire pigs roaming the family farm. The couple, originally from Cumbria in England, process meat from their on-site butcher shop into a range of specialty meat products they sell to suppliers and markets across Alberta. Even though Nicola Irving, 55, moved to the country decades ago, she still feels a bit like a political outsider. Irving describes herself as a lifelong conservative but feels conflicted about how the race has taken shape. She questions whether Poilievre is truly committed to the constituents or if the riding is a stepping stone. My head tells me to do one thing, my heart is telling me to do something different, she said of her pending choice at the ballot box. In this riding, there are so many voters out there that are not necessarily looking at the name. They just vote for the blue. They vote conservative, regardless of who it is. No matter who wins, Irving said she wants her federal representative to do right by their constituents and focus on fiscal responsibility and cutting down internal trade barriers. While tariffs have yet to hit her business hard, she said the uncertainty is unsettling. Enlarge image (new window) Humphrey Banack examines his canola crop as he prepares for harvest season. For him, a conservative win in the riding is a foregone conclusion. Photo: CBC / Wallis Snowdon A short drive away, Humphrey Banack, 67, stands with his back to the sun, below a row of grain silver silos standing guard over his expansive fields of canola, now turned from yellow to green. He's preparing to harvest by month's end, a familiar ritual after decades working his third-generation family farm, established in 1906. The operation, which includes his brother, nephew, and son, stretches across 8,000 acres of land tilled with canola and wheat, along with barley, oats and flax. He's been tuned into the political chatter during the race and recently attended a candidate's forum to hear the final pitch from 10 candidates. He said a lack of trade stability is the biggest challenge facing farmers, with tariffs putting producers on edge and making it difficult for them to fetch a fair price for their products. Banack identifies himself as a conservative and said the region has been well-represented by the party. He doubts, however, that the election will significantly change things for residents. For him, Poilievre's win is a foregone conclusion. While the race puts the riding in the spotlight for now, he expects that shine will fade once a result is known. He said he does not expect that a Poilievre win will put the concerns of riding residents on a pedestal, despite what some conservative supporters believe. Which conservative we have representing us in Battle River-Crowfoot isn't going to matter, Banack said. The only person who's going to gain from this is Mr. Poilievre. Banack said the campaign has brought frustration to the riding, and fanned support for Alberta separation, divisions he's seen play out at the recent candidate debates and at his own family table. Enlarge image (new window) A view of Humphrey Banack's family farm, surrounded by their expansive canola crop. As a byelection nears, farmers in the region are calling for a strong advocate in Ottawa. Photo: CBC / Wallis Snowdon Back on the Nahirniak farm, the divisiveness of the campaign is clear. Over coffee on their porch, Marjorie Nahirniak, Harvey's wife, said she is glad that the race has forced the needs of local producers and their families in the spotlight. This area is nice and green … but not everything is lovely, she said. And I hope Poilievre does get in because I don't think a no-name will be effective at all. And then it's our responsibility to keep him in line. Meanwhile, her son, Kyle Nahirniak, who has now begun to take the reins of the family farm, feels disillusioned about federal politics. Farming, he said, has become more demanding as market swings and trade volatility make profit margins increasingly thin. He said Ottawa needs to safeguard economic stability with a greater focus on Canadian self-sufficiency, especially in agricultural production. He's not confident that Poilievre will be attentive to those challenges, but he doesn't think conservative voters in the region will be swayed. This is the easiest path for him to get back into the house, which I understand, but I don't find it a particularly inspiring path, he said. Traditionally, I would be a conservative, but I don't see things that way anymore. Wallis Snowdon (new window) · CBC News · Reporter Wallis Snowdon is a journalist with CBC Edmonton focused on bringing stories to the website and the airwaves. Originally from New Brunswick, Wallis has reported in communities across Canada, from Halifax to Fort McMurray. She previously worked as a digital and current affairs producer with CBC Radio in Edmonton. Share your stories with Wallis at
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Advance polls open in Alberta byelection with 214 candidates, historic blank ballots
CAMROSE — Advance polls in a historic federal byelection for Alberta's Battle River-Crowfoot open today. For the first time ever, Elections Canada says voters must fill out a blank ballot. The agency lists a record 214 candidates running in the rural riding, with voting day on Aug. 18. The majority 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. Poilievre lost his long-held Ottawa seat of Carleton. The byelection also features Liberal candidate Darcy Spady, the NDP's Katherine Swampy and Independent Bonnie Critchley. 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 agency 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." A list of all candidates in large-print will be at polling stations for electors to refer to, he added. The agency's website also said magnifiers and large-grip pencils will be available. Poll workers have been given extra training. McKenna said there are ways they can assist electors with ballots, and the counting process will be different. Poilievre repeated his frustration Thursday with the longest ballot initiative. More than 90 candidates were on the ballot when he ran in 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 an unrelated news conference in Calgary. "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. People with vision problems, the elderly, others who have difficulty now will have a harder time voting." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 8, 2025. Fakiha Baig, The Canadian Press
Global News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Global News
Advance polls open in federal byelection in Alberta riding of Battle River-Crowfoot
Advance polls open Friday in a historic federal byelection in the 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. View image in full screen 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. Story continues below advertisement The byelection also features Liberal candidate Darcy Spady, the NDP's Katherine Swampy and Independent Bonnie Critchley. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 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. 0:57 Poilievre calls 'longest ballot' protest in his new riding a 'scam' Poilievre repeated his frustration Thursday with the longest ballot initiative. Story continues below advertisement 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.'
CBC
4 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
Advance voting begins in Battle-River Crowfoot federal byelection
Advance polls in a historic federal byelection for Alberta's Battle River-Crowfoot open today, and for the the first time ever, Elections Canada says voters must fill out a blank ballot. 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. Poilievre lost his long-held Ottawa seat of Carleton. There are 214 candidates registered in the byelection, making it the largest number of candidates on a federal ballot in Canadian history. Those running include Poilievre, Liberal candidate Darcy Spady, NDP candidate Katherine Swampy, Jonathan Bridges of the People's Party of Canada, and Ashley MacDonald of the Green Party. Advance polls close on Monday. For the first time ever, Elections Canada says voters must fill out a blank ballot. Elections Canada stated that, due to the record-breaking number of candidates, voters will be provided with special write-in ballots instead of the standard list-style ballot. Most of the candidates on the ballot are associated with a group of electoral reform advocates known as the Longest Ballot Committee. 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 hand write the name of their preferred candidate in a blank space. "Their vote will be counted, even if they misspell the candidate's name," said agency 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." WATCH | Poilievre discusses campaign in rural Alberta: Poilievre: 'I love the people of Battle River-Crowfoot' 21 hours ago Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre, speaking in Calgary on Thursday, is asked how he is feeling heading into the Aug. 18 byelection where he's running to regain a seat in the House of Commons. At an unrelated news conference in Calgary on Thursday, Poilievre expressed frustration with the group and the candidates that are associated with it. "They're adding their names even though they're not campaigning. They don't expect to win. They just want to inundate the ballot to confuse the situation [and] make it harder for people to vote," Poilievre said. Poilievre suggested the government should change the number of signatures a candidate is required to have on a nomination form. Currently, candidates only need 100 signatures to qualify for the ballot. "The simple solution is to say that if you want to be a candidate, you have to get several hundred signatures of your own. You can't just use the same 100 or 200 signatures for all the candidates." He also recommended that every candidate should be required to have their own financial agent. Speaking at a candidate forum last week, independent candidate Bonnie Critchley expressed frustration with the Longest Ballot Committee and noted that several candidates won't be able to vote in the byelection because they don't live in the riding. "If you want to run for an area, you need to live here. This longest ballot crap, that's got to stop," she said. Another candidate forum is set for Thursday evening at the Stettler Community Hall. "I'm meeting a lot of people who are very angry about the way that the federal government has abused and mistreated Alberta. What they're saying is the era of 'pay up and shut up' has got to come to an end," he said. "Alberta deserves a better deal within Canada, and one of the ways we make that happen, one of the ways we unite our country, is to produce our resources." Elections Canada said electors can also vote early by mail or at the local Elections Canada office in Battle River-Crowfoot until Tuesday, Aug. 12. The official election day for the byelection is Aug. 18.
National Observer
4 days ago
- Politics
- National Observer
Advance polls open in Alberta byelection with 214 candidates, a historic number of blank ballots
Advance polls in a historic federal byelection for Alberta's Battle River-Crowfoot open today. For the first time ever, Elections Canada says voters must fill out a blank ballot. The agency lists a record 214 candidates running in the rural riding, with voting day on Aug. 18. The majority 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. Poilievre lost his long-held Ottawa seat of Carleton. The byelection also features Liberal candidate Darcy Spady, the NDP's Katherine Swampy and Independent Bonnie Critchley. 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 agency 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." A list of all candidates in large-print will be at polling stations for electors to refer to, he added. The agency's website also said magnifiers and large-grip pencils will be available. Poll workers have been given extra training. McKenna said there are ways they can assist electors with ballots, and the counting process will be different. Poilievre repeated his frustration Thursday with the longest ballot initiative. More than 90 candidates were on the ballot when he ran in 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 an unrelated news conference in Calgary. "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. People with vision problems, the elderly, others who have difficulty now will have a harder time voting." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 8, 2025.
