Provincial general elections are held so voters in the province can decide who will represent them in the Legislative Assembly. Their representative will be involved in decision-making that will affect present and future residents of our province.
One Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) is elected in each of the 83 electoral divisions to sit in the Legislative Assembly and actively represent the people in the area.
Most MLAs represent political parties, and the party with the most MLAs elected forms the government.
The group of 83 MLAs makes policy decisions by passing laws that will affect present and future residents of the province.
An Alberta provincial election has been called and with the dissolution of the 26th Legislature there are no Members of the Legislative Assembly until the results of the general election become official.
A political party is an organized group of people with common values and goals that tries to get its candidates elected to office. Political parties must register with the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer before they are considered official parties within Alberta.
To vote in an Alberta provincial election you must be:
A Canadian citizen
At least 18 years of age
Ordinarily resident in Alberta for the past 6 months
In addtion, you must not be serving a prison sentence of 11 days or more (unless it is for the non-payment of fines
A new online service called
Voterlink allows you to add your name, address and change other personal information, around the clock, using the Internet. All you need is an Alberta Motor Vehicle Licence or an Alberta Identification Card issued by a Registry Office.
Effective February 20, 2008, you may use Voterlink to update the permanent Register of Electors for future use, but your name will not appear on the Lists of Electors.
Eligible electors may have their names added to the List of Electors on voting day, after producing two pieces of identification.
Yes, but you have to bring any two pieces of identification that prove who you are, and register at the polling station by completing an oath before casting your ballot.
An election must be called within five years of the previous election, but can be called at any point within this time period.
An election is called with the issuance of Writs of Election.
An election period is 28 days long. Election Day is 4 weeks after the election is called.
Once an election is called, each electoral division goes through the election process.
Qualified people can become official candidates and run in the election, and most represent political parties.
Candidates and parties campaign to get support from voters.
On Election Day, the polls are open from 9am-8pm for eligible voters to cast their ballots.
Each electoral division is divided into polling subdivisions, which are defined geographic areas. Eligible voters residing within each area vote at the polling station designated for their area.
During the election period, you can find your polling station at the Elections Alberta homepage and in local newspapers. In addition, notices are delivered to all residences in the province.
Advance polls are open the Thursday, Friday and Saturday before Election Day, from 9am-8pm, for voters who are unable to vote on Election Day.
Special Ballots are available for those who are unable to vote at the Advance Poll or on Election Day.
Special Ballots can be cast at any point during the election period at the Office of the Returning Officer in each electoral division.
They can be requested by phone, fax, email, mail or in person, but must be requested by the voter.
All Special Ballots have to be returned to the Office of the Returning Officer by 8pm on Election Day to be counted.
On Election Day, mobile polls go around to hospitals, many supportive living facilities and seniors lodges so the residents are able to register and cast their ballots. You can check with your facility to see if a mobile poll is expected.
Templates are available at all polling stations so that the visually impaired are able to mark their ballots independently.
Alternatively, a friend or election officer may offer assistance.
Election officers are mainly selected from the local area and often speak the language(s) commonly used in that neighborhood.
Alternatively, directions for marking the ballot are available in 13 languages for voters who are most comfortable with a language other than English.
You are also able to bring a friend along to translate for you.
The people present at the polls are limited to those with a role to play in the election process (election officers, scrutineers, voters, etc.), and all people allowed to stay in the polling place are required to take an Oath of Secrecy.
All ballots are identical and are returned to the election officer folded so your vote is not visible.
The ballot box at each poll is kept sealed until the end of Election Day when it is opened in a secure area and ballots are counted by the election officers.
The List of Electors is developed to restrict voting to those who are entitled, as well as to restrict each voter to only one vote.
After voting, the voters name is crossed off the list. The names of those who vote at Advance Polls or using a Special Ballot are crossed off the list in their area so they cannot also vote on Election Day.
Voters who are not on the list must bring identification and sign an oath when they visit the polls before they are permitted to vote.
Local election officers and scrutineers may challenge anyone they believe is not entitled to vote, even if they are on the list.
Elections Alberta is committed to investigating concerns about the election process and administers fines for any violations.
After the close of polls, the Unofficial Count is conducted and the results are posted, both in the offices of the Returning Officers and on Elections Albertas website.
The Official Count is conducted following the election to verify the results and a winner is officially announced in each electoral division ten days after Election Day.
