2001 General Election

Election Training.... Returning Officers and Election Clerks received training to prepare them for their responsibilities. They received appropriate resources to provide standardized training to Supervisory Deputy Returning Officers and Deputy Returning Officers. As in past elections, Poll Clerks were briefed on their responsibilities by the Deputy Returning Officers and followed the directions provided in the updated “Guide for Polling Place Officials”.

Mapping Resources.... The maps reviewed by Returning Officers in July 2000 were used in advertisements and posted at the polling places. Maps had been updated with new civic address data, where available, to ensure currency and accuracy.

In accordance with legislation, maps of each electoral division were advertised in newspapers of general circulation on two occasions during the election period. The first advertisement appeared in the week of February 19, and included Election Proclamations, Returning Officers’ office hours and contact information, qualifications for Special Ballot voters, and information regarding the availability of level access in the Returning Officers’ offices and advance polling places.

The second advertisement appeared in the week of March 5, and included information on regular, advance and Special Ballot polls, along with the polling place maps.

Both advertisements appeared as inserts in the Edmonton and Calgary daily newspapers. They included information for electoral divisions that shared a boundary with the cities, along with the electoral divisions within the two cities. As an added service, the second insert was hand-delivered to all residences of non-subscribers in Edmonton and Calgary to best disseminate information to all electors. Additional banner advertisements were published throughout the election period to encourage electors to obtain necessary polling day information from the Voter Information Centre. The advertisements appeared in five daily newspapers outside the Edmonton/Calgary area, in one hundred twenty-nine weekly newspapers, and in fourteen ethnic newspapers.

Elector Information.... Electors received information throughout the election period from a number of sources. Information was compiled and made available on a timely basis, given that all activities in the electoral cycle must follow the issuance of the Writs of Election. Returning Officers secured office space as soon as the Writs were issued, and contact information for them was available two days later.

Polling places were selected after the issuance of the Writs and were available to callers within the first week of the election period. Candidates’ nominations closed at 2:00 p.m. on the fourteenth day following the issuance of the Writs, and a complete listing of candidates was available on the website two hours later.

Elections Alberta’s website provided answers to commonly asked questions regarding eligibility criteria and availability of voter assistance. It included statistical information from previous events, an election calendar highlighting the key dates in the election period, contact information for Returning Officers across the province, and a listing of candidates for each electoral division. The website was accessed frequently and will be expanded to provide additional information during the next electoral event. Many electors used the email address provided to communicate their questions and suggestions to Elections Alberta. Returning Officers’ offices were open six days of the week, Monday through Saturday, and offered extended hours on key dates.

The Voter Information Centre handled over twenty-four thousand calls throughout the election period, including four thousand on Polling Day. Operators were available weekdays from 8:15 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Operators answered general inquiries and directed electors to their polling places.

Election Calendar.... The election calendar posted on the website highlighted the following key dates.

	Date	Activity
	Monday, February 12, 2001	Issuance of the Writs of Election to Returning Officers in the eighty-three electoral divisions
	Saturday, February 17	First day for electors to be added to the Lists of Electors in the Returning Officers' offices (start of Revisions Period)
	Monday, February 26 at 2:00 PM	Last opportunity for Candidates to file Nomination Papers in the Returning Officers' offices
	Saturday, March 3 at 4:00 PM	Last opportunity for electors to be added to the Lists of Electors in the Returning Officers' offices (end of Revisions Period)
	Thursday, March 8	First day to vote in the Advance Polls (9:00 AM to 8:00 PM)
	Friday, March 9	Second day to vote in the Advance Polls (9:00 AM to 8:00 PM)
	Saturday, March 10	Third day to vote in the Advance Polls (9:00 AM to 8:00 PM)
	Monday, March 12	Polling Day (9:00 AM to 8:00 PM)

Legislative and Procedural Changes.... A legislative change passed in May 2000 directed that all registered political parties were entitled to receive an updated List of Electors in the fourth and fifth year following the preceding Provincial General Election. Lists of Electors were made available to all registered political parties, upon request, in November 2000, the fourth year following the 1997 Provincial General Election. Because no changes were made to the Lists of Electors prior to the March 2001 Provincial General Election, no additional Lists were provided to political parties for campaign use.

The Alberta Register of Electors System (AROES), used to manage Register data, provided computerized assistance to Returning Officers in the management of the election. Returning Officers assigned all polling subdivisions to polling places, which allowed all users of the system to access polling place information for the entire province. This innovation enabled electors to determine their polling place by calling any one of the eighty-three Returning Officers’ offices, instead of having to first identify the Returning Officer responsible for their electoral division. AROES also facilitated the preparation of prescribed forms and staffing reports.

Cell phone usage in polling places was prohibited to avoid unnecessary distraction. During the previous election, cell phones became quite intrusive in busy polling places, to the point that it was sometimes difficult for election officials to communicate effectively with electors. The blanket prohibition ensured that all election officials and scrutineers were governed by the same rules.

An important legislative change occurred in regard to the issuance of Special Ballots. These ballots are issued to electors who are unable to vote at the advance polls, or on Polling Day, due to:

• physical incapacity,
• absence from the electoral division,
• being an eligible prison inmate,
• being an election official, candidate, official agent or scrutineer whose official duties require their attendance at a polling place other than their own,
• being resident in a remote area, or
• other circumstances prescribed by the Chief Electoral Officer.

Previously, electors who wished to request a Special Ballot had to be on the List of Electors. Further to a legislative change enacted in 1998, electors could be added to the List of Electors following the submission of a properly completed Special Ballot application. They were also given the opportunity to add their names to the Register of Electors, to ensure their names would appear on subsequent Lists of Electors extracted from the Register.

For the first time, inmates serving terms of ten days or less, and those who were incarcerated for non-payment of fines, were eligible to vote. Inmates were required to vote in the electoral division in which they were ordinarily resident, as is the case with all electors. Eligible inmates were provided with Special Ballots upon request.

The Special Ballot system was also used to provide a secure voting environment to electors who felt that their safety would be compromised by the inclusion of their name on a List of Electors or their attendance at a polling place. These electors were assigned a number by the Chief Electoral Officer, which appeared in the Poll Book and on the List of Electors in lieu of their name.

Following the election, candidates and official agents were authorized by legislation to request photocopies of the Poll Books completed on the Polling Day. The photocopies are made available on a cost-recovery basis, on request.

Nominated Candidates.... Nomination day was Monday, February 26. That was the last day on which prospective candidates were able to file nomination papers with the Returning Officer in the electoral division in which they wished to contest the election.

By 2:00 p.m., when nominations closed, 318 candidates had filed nomination papers. The distribution of candidates by political party affiliation follows:

	Alberta First Party	16
	Alberta Greens	10
	Alberta Liberal Party	83
	Alberta New Democratic Party	83
	Alberta Social Credit Party	12
	Communist Party-Alberta	2
	Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta	83
	Independent	29

The complete list of nominated candidates was posted to the Elections Alberta website two hours after the close of nominations across the province.

No candidate withdrew following the close of nominations and no candidate was elected by acclamation.

Special Ballot Polls.... By legislation, a Special Ballot poll was established in each of the eighty-three electoral divisions. The poll is established to facilitate voting for electors who are not able to vote at the advance poll, or on Polling Day. It is often used by electors who are travelling, working, or studying away from their own electoral division for extended periods. Availability of the Special Ballot was advertised in newspapers and on the website.

It is often viewed as a mail-in ballot, but ballots may also be completed in the Returning Officer’s office or hand-delivered by an individual at the elector’s request. While every effort is made to facilitate the provision of Special Ballots to electors, it is a legislative requirement that an elector must request his or her own Special Ballot: it cannot be requested on his or her behalf. This is to ensure that the Special Ballot is issued to, and completed by, the appropriate elector.

The Special Ballot uses a series of envelopes to protect the confidentiality of the ballot, and contains an elector’s declaration identifying the reason for use, along with an undertaking confirming that the elector has not yet voted and will not vote a second time.

Returning Officers sent Special Ballots throughout the province and even out of the country. Electors were able to request a Special Ballot at the beginning of the election period, and were able to vote for the candidate or political party of their choice. This helped to ensure that electors had adequate time to complete and return the Special Ballot by the close of polls on Polling Day.

In the same way that each elector must vote within their own electoral division, each elector was required to request a Special Ballot from the Returning Officer in his or her own electoral division, and to return it to the office from which it was issued.

A total of 11,100 Special Ballots were received by the close of polls on Polling Day.

Advance Polls.... By legislation, advance polls were established in at least one, and not more than four, locations in each electoral division on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday prior to Polling Day. Advance polls were open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on March 8th, 9th, and 10th. All advance polls offered level access.

These polls were established to accommodate electors who were unable to vote on Polling Day due to:

• physical incapacity,
• absence, or
• being an election official, candidate, official agent or scrutineer whose official duties preclude their attendance at the polling place established for their own polling subdivision.

Mobile Polls.... By legislation, mobile polls were established on Polling Day in seniors’ lodges, seniors’ residences, and treatment centres with ten or more residents or inpatients, where consultation with facility staff deemed the service to be appropriate.

Mobile polls accommodated electors in these facilities during hours deemed appropriate by facility staff, and were conducted in a fixed location, or by going bed-to-bed, or using both methods.

All electors identified by the facility staff as being well enough to vote are eligible to vote in the electoral division in which the facility is located. In accordance with legislation, facility staff sometimes restricted participation to the deputy returning officer, poll clerk, interpreter, and facility representative, if appropriate for the well-being of the residents or inpatients.

A total of 16,713 ballots were cast at 175 mobile polls.

Polling Day.... By legislation, polls were open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Monday, March 12, 2001. There were 5,157 polling stations established across the province, each staffed by a Deputy Returning Officer and Poll Clerk. Supervisory Deputy Returning Officers were hired in polling places with multiple polling stations to assist in directing electors to the correct polling station.

Poll workers were responsible for taking the vote, swearing-in electors whose names did not appear on the Lists of Electors, recording necessary changes to the Lists of Electors, conducting the unofficial count and returning all polling day material to the Returning Officers in a secure manner.

Poll workers were also responsible for answering electors’ inquiries and for working with the scrutineers appointed by candidates to observe Polling Day proceedings. Both poll workers and scrutineers are to be commended for their cooperative efforts in ensuring fairness and transparency in the process.

The role of poll workers has been expanded to include the collection of information that will be used in updating the Register of Electors. Polling Day is an excellent opportunity to collect new and updated information from electors for use in refreshing the Register and subsequent Lists of Electors.

At the close of polls, poll workers conducted the unofficial count and telephoned results to the Returning Officers. All results were communicated in a timely manner and were made available in Returning Officers’ offices.

Additions to the Lists of Electors.... A total of 113,550 electors were added to the Lists of Electors during the Revisions Period and on Polling Day. This figure represents electors who were not included during the Confirmation Process, and those who moved or attained the age, residency, or citizenship eligibility criteria following the Confirmation Process.

On average, twenty-two electors were sworn in at each regular polling station. Areas of high mobility, or significant recent growth, experienced the highest number of additions.

The Register of Electors contained 1,648,473 names in 1996, following the November 1996 Provincial General Enumeration. The number of names increased to 1,761,970 after the March 1997 Provincial General Election, which included names added during the Revisions Period and on Polling Day.

At the end of the August/September 2000 Confirmation Process, the names of 1,809,171 electors appeared in the Register of Electors. The names of those electors appeared on the Lists of Electors that were distributed to registered political parties in November 2000. The breakdown by electoral division is shown on Table 1.

The number of names increased following the March 2001 Provincial General Election to 1,922,721, which represents the number of names on the Lists of Electors at the close of polls on Polling Day.

At May 2001, the number of names had been reduced to 1,902,906 after electors’ names were removed from old addresses, and after deletions were made at electors’ requests following out-of-province moves. This reduction is also partially attributable to the number of electors who withheld consent for participation in the Register of Electors.

In order to receive a ballot, an elector’s name must appear on the List of Electors. It is not mandatory, however, to participate in the Register of Electors. Electors were encouraged to participate to increase the accuracy of future Lists and to reduce the number of electors having to swear-in to vote at the next electoral event. Still, some electors prefer not to have their names included in the Register on an ongoing basis. This is one of the reasons that a certain number of Polling Day swear-ins must be anticipated at all electoral events.

Accuracy of the Lists of Electors.... Accurate, current Lists of Electors are essential both for campaigning and effective Polling Day administration. The Lists of Electors distributed to registered political parties in November 2000, and subsequently used at the polls, were compared to the post-election Lists produced in May 2001 to gauge accuracy.

It is recognized that an indeterminate number of eligible electors actively choose not to participate in the electoral process, so it is acknowledged that the List of Electors does not contain every eligible elector. At the same time, a benchmark must be established to gauge accuracy. For that reason, the assumption is made that the post-election Lists of Electors are one-hundred percent accurate, since they include all electors who had provided information during the Confirmation Process, the Revisions Period, or on Polling Day.

Table 1 illustrates the accuracy of the November 2000 Lists of Electors in comparison to the post-election Lists. Overall, the Lists were found to be 95.1% accurate. Only 4.9% of electors that appeared on the May 2001 Lists of Electors were added during the Revisions Period and on Polling Day.

Official Results.... The Official Results were announced by each of the eighty-three Returning Officers on Thursday, March 22. No judicial recount or appeal, pursuant to Section 142 of the Election Act, was applied for in any electoral division. No controverted election petition was filed for the election.

Publication.... Names of the eighty-three newly elected Members of the Legislative Assembly were published in the Alberta Gazette on April 14, 2001 in accordance with Section 147 of the Election Act.

Custody and Inspection of Election Documents.... All Polling Day documentation was returned to Elections Alberta following the announcement of the Official Results, in accordance with Section 140 of the Election Act.

Section 149 authorizes candidates and their official agents to review all Polling Day documentation for their electoral division, with the exception of ballots, in the thirty-day period following the publication of the names of Members of the Legislative Assembly in the Alberta Gazette.

Continuous Register of Electors Management.... Elector information collected throughout the election period and on Polling Day was incorporated into the Register of Electors, where permission was granted by the elector, for preparation of future Lists of Electors.

Lists were updated following the election and distributed to registered political parties and Members of the Legislative Assembly for their use under Section 16(1) of the Election Act. Restrictions for use are contained at Section 17, to ensure elector information is used appropriately. Penalties for misuse include fines up to $100,000, or terms of imprisonment up to one year, or both.

Section 17 now directs that both registered political parties and Members of the Legislative Assembly receive updated Lists on a regular basis. Updated Lists must be provided immediately after the election, two years after the election, during the fourth and fifth years following the election, and following any updates made to the Register subsequent to revisions to electoral division boundaries.

With any large database, it is a major challenge to compare and correct entries against another data set. It is particularly challenging when some entries cannot be matched conclusively because of incomplete information. This is particularly difficult in the case of common names where birth date and previous address information is unavailable.

Maintaining the accuracy and currency of these Lists of Electors will be a significant challenge and a focal point of activities at Elections Alberta. Possible data sources are being reviewed for use in updating Register information on an ongoing basis. These activities must reconcile the need for updated information with the electors’ rights to privacy.

Candidates’ Deposits.... A total of 204 candidates’ deposits of $200 were forfeited. Forfeiture occurred when unsuccessful candidates received less than fifty percent of the votes received by the winning candidate. A breakdown follows:

		Number Nominated	Number Forfeited
	Alberta First Party	16	16
	Alberta Greens	10	10
	Alberta Liberal Party	83	55
	Alberta New Democratic Party	83	80
	Alberta Social Credit Party	12	12
	Communist Party-Alberta	2	2
	Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta	83	0
	Independent	29	29
	Total	318	204

The forfeited amount of $40,800 was paid through Elections Alberta to the Provincial Treasurer for deposit to the General Revenue Fund.

Campaign Period Financial Statements.... Candidates’ campaign period financial statements must be filed with Elections Alberta by July 12, 2001, four months after Polling Day. Details of expenses incurred by each candidate will be published in a newspaper circulated in the electoral division of that candidate.

Political parties’ campaign period financial statements must be filed with Elections Alberta by September 12, 2001, six months after Polling Day.

Copies of all financial statements are placed on the Public Files maintained by Elections Alberta and are available for examination during normal office hours. The Twenty-fourth Annual Report of the Chief Electoral Officer will provide details on all campaign period financial statements.

Remarks of the Chief Electoral Officer.... The electoral activities conducted over the past year are perfect examples of successful teamwork. An enormous group of electors contributed in various ways to the successful conduct of the Confirmation Process and Provincial General Election. We owe a vote of thanks to everyone: to the Confirmation Officials who collected information door-to-door; to the election officials who worked at least a twelve-hour day on Polling Day to provide direct voter assistance; to the political parties and candidates who offered their time and talents to provide the electorate with choices; and to their scrutineers who were the eyes and ears of the candidates on Polling Day.

Special thanks go out to the Returning Officers who hired and managed staff complements that were sometimes in the hundreds. Their tireless efforts helped to ensure that the enormity of administrative detail behind the Polling Day machine was virtually invisible, so the focus could appropriately be directed towards the candidates and their campaigns. Each staff member at Elections Alberta is also to be commended for their commitment and support of all clients throughout the election period.

Many people actively participate because of the value they see in this task. Confirmation and election officials are paid for their work, but will never get rich from the remuneration. Many people regularly work the elections at the provincial, municipal and federal levels; and many have done so over the years because they recognize the importance of this role and enjoy the Polling Day excitement.

Our task is to prepare a professional, capable work force of about seventeen thousand through standardized training and detailed instruction. Our task is also to provide effective resources to both our workers and our clients: the registered political parties, candidates and, ultimately, the electors.

Public notification of these events continues to be a challenge for us. It is not easy to get timely, accurate information into the hands of almost two million electors. This challenge is compounded by the compressed timelines of electoral events. Deadlines approach quickly and electors must be aware of these activities early on so they are able to participate.

Over the past years, we have increased our advertising, our Internet presence, and our availability by telephone through the Voter Information Centre. These initiatives would not have been possible without the approval and support of the Standing Committee on Legislative Offices. I look forward to working with the Committee, and with all clients, to provide continuous improvements in service delivery to the electors of the Province.