This blog post was prepared by our amazing LACC Volunteers: Samina Sana and Leemah Sana
Your Alberta Provincial Election Toolkit: how to prepare yourself to vote, how to support language access and more!
If you have not yet received a letter from Elections Alberta in the mail providing the information you need to vote effectively this May 29, 2023, here is a brief overview of key details you should be aware of and pay extra attention to.
Firstly, make sure you’re on the voters' list. If you receive a letter stating no one is registered as a voter at your residence, please refer to the information below.
Register online as a voter by visiting ELECTIONS ALBERTA. While on the Elections Alberta website, you will find more information on how to vote in the election on or before May 29, 2023.
Step 1: register to vote (retrieved verbatim from Elections Alberta’s “Register to Vote” handout):
to register, “go online to voterlink.ab.ca” OR “call 1-877-433-8683 (weekdays 8:15 AM-8 PM, weekends: 10 AM-4 PM).
you can use the PIN in box C of your “register to vote” handout (sent to you by mail) to access and update the record for your household online (granted you have a set place of residence).
Step 2: ensure eligibility to be, become, or fulfill your duties as a registered voter by ensuring that you are:
a Canadian citizen who is 18+ in terms of age. However, if you're almost eighteen, you can still register and then vote when you turn 18), and a resident of Alberta.
register to vote at your current address if you are a first-time voter or recently moved. If you’ve changed your name, make sure to update Elections Alberta.
to vote, you must show ID to prove your identity and address in one of four ways: 1) your Alberta ID or Drivers’ License, 2) two pieces of identification: both with your name and one showing your current residential address, 3) by having a registered voter in your voting area vouch for you, or 4) using an attestation form found at elections.ab.ca/VoterID.
Step 3: as a registered voter, consider your various options for voting:
why register to vote in advance? you will receive a personalized ‘Where to Vote Card’ and faster service at the voting station when you go to your designated location to vote.
you can still vote if you don’t register. The voting process will take longer as you must complete your registration steps before being issued a ballot to fill out.
You can vote in various ways: 1) on election day (May 29, 2023, at your assigned voting location from 9 AM to 8 PM), 2) through advance voting (Tuesday, May 23, 2023, to Saturday, May 28, 2023) at any of the 300+ voting stations in Alberta, 3) at your local returning office from May 2 to May 29, 2023, open weekdays from 9 AM to 6 PM, Saturdays 10 AM to 4 PM and voting days 9 AM to 8 PM, or 4) by mail if you are away from home during election period and unable to vote in person. You can apply for a special ballot to be mailed to you and request a package for pickup by going to elections.ab.ca/SpecialBallot (to be requested by you as early as possible), that you will then need to return to Elections Alberta by 8 PM on Monday, May 29, 2023.
Step 4: know your rights, especially if you’re an employed worker and/or employee in Alberta:
Alberta has an election act in effect, Election Act - Open Government, which requires that employers give time off to vote so that the employee has 3 consecutive non-work hours to vote.
If you, the employee, have three non-work hours to vote after or before work within the times the voting locations are open (9 AM to 8 PM), your employer does not need to give time off.
More information on ‘time off for voting’ can be found here: https://www.elections.ab.ca/voters/how-to-vote/time-off-for-voting/.
Step 5: support language access by sharing the guidelines of voting accessibility (found at elections.ab.ca/Accessibility) with any eligible voter it may serve and benefit.
to allow for barrier-free access to voting, especially as it pertains to language access, there are voting options in 27 languages.
Elections Alberta guides are available in many different languages on everything you need to know to vote by visiting the following Elections Alberta website link: https://www.elections.ab.ca/voters/assistance-in-your-language/.
printed copies of voting guides are available at voting locations.
Elections Canada does not offer translation. However, individuals are encouraged to seek out local community resources if translation is needed.
Step 6: research and learn more about your local candidates so that you do not accidentally vote for candidates whose values do not align with yours. Vice versa, vote for candidates you truly believe in and hold a great amount of respect for. Don’t let others' opinions sway you.
Research the political parties and their objectives to be well informed.
Alberta has 12 current political parties that are trying to elect candidates for the legislative assembly:
Advantage Part of Alberta (APA)
Alberta Liberal Party (LIB)
Alberta New Democratic Party (NDP)
Alberta Party (AP)
Communist Party- Alberta (CP-A)
Green Party of Alberta (GPA)
Pro-Life Alberta Political Association (PAPA)
Reform Party of Alberta (REF)
The Buffalo Party of Alberta (BPA)
The Independence Party of Alberta (TIP)
The United Conservative Party (UCP)
Wildrose Independence Party of Alberta (WIPA)
By going to assembly.ab.ca, you can find a list of your current MLAs (https://www.assembly.ab.ca/members/members-of-the-legislative-assembly). You can then research these MLAs to determine whether they adhere to their promises. While you’re at it, if you have the time and passion, contact your MLAs to encourage them to support language advocacy. Your current and incoming MLAs are there to advocate for the needs of your local community and/or communities. Your MLAs must always hold themselves accountable.
Step 7: You’ve voted. What’s next?
Rest and relax. Pat yourself on the shoulder. You’ve done your part in being a good Albertan and a loyal Canadian citizen.
Once the election is officially over (end of day May 29, 2023), your local news outlets (if you watch TV or stream the news online), radio stations (if you listen to the radio), and/or social media platforms (such as Twitter) will start to share updates on how the election is going and/or how it went.
Once the election results are official, you’ll find out who has won. Hopefully, those you vote for will be those who win. Moreover, hopefully, those who win are citizens and elected officials of integrity who keep their promises and who stand by their words in uplifting and empowering all of Alberta!