Elections Alberta has announced the need for various support positions as it reaches out to senior and experienced electoral staff from across Canada to assist with the upcoming referendum in October.
“It is standard for electoral management bodies (EMBs) to lend each other support during election periods,” stated Maia Hanrahan, a spokesperson for Elections Alberta, in a release to CBC News on Tuesday.
“We invite senior, experienced EMB personnel with specialized knowledge to aid the core Elections Alberta team, enhancing resources during this vital electoral event. Similar requests and initiatives are common across the nation for significant electoral occasions.”
Hanrahan emphasized that assistance will be particularly crucial right after the voting concludes.
“For instance, to complete the 48-hour continuous counting process following a 12-hour voting day, we will require additional specialized and expert resources from EMBs to support our permanent Elections Alberta team, as they will be working in shifts.”
The 2026 referendum is slated for October 19, where Albertans will face 10 questions, including whether the province should continue being part of Canada or initiate the legal process for a second binding referendum on exiting the country.
The remaining questions will address a wide array of matters related to immigration and constitutional subjects.
CBC News has also received confirmation from both Elections BC and Elections Saskatchewan regarding their reception of a request for support from Elections Alberta.
A representative from Elections BC informed CBC News that they are currently evaluating Elections Alberta’s request in light of their operational requirements for this fall.
British Columbia is set to hold its next municipal elections on October 17.
On Wednesday, Elections Canada acknowledged receiving an inquiry from Elections Alberta regarding potential support for the referendum.
“We are in the process of evaluating that request and have yet to make any commitments,” stated Elections Canada in their announcement.
“We are exploring options that may assist Elections Alberta in their recruitment efforts, including interested employees for whom this could serve as a professional development opportunity, as well as retired staff. In all scenarios, these individuals would operate under the direction of Elections Alberta, with Elections Canada not involved in the referendum’s execution.”
Elections Saskatchewan has indicated its willingness to provide staff support as Alberta gears up for its referendum this fall.
“While we are happy to assist our fellow election officials nationwide, this also represents a valuable professional development opportunity for our team,” remarked Michael Boda, chief electoral officer at Elections Saskatchewan.
“Provincial general elections typically occur every four years. Engaging in electoral activities in other jurisdictions offers our team practical experience, enhances their skills, and imparts lessons that will benefit Elections Saskatchewan in preparing for future elections.”
Elections Alberta reported that its recruitment campaign is off to a strong start, having received over 30,000 applications from Albertans as of Tuesday afternoon.
“Since launching the campaign just over a month ago… this is an encouraging step toward our target of recruiting 60,000 electoral workers,” Hanrahan stated.
Lorne Gibson, a former chief electoral officer in Alberta, noted that there are limitations to how much assistance EMB staff from outside Alberta can provide.
“There simply aren’t enough personnel,” he explained. “Many of the core staff in other regions are relatively small: 10, 12, 14, or 25 people, for example.
“And they certainly couldn’t send all of them. It’s also quite expensive to employ individuals from outside the province due to travel, accommodation, meal expenses, etc., not to mention salaries, which are generally much higher than what local individuals would earn.”
Gibson further highlighted the challenge of finding eligible individuals to work for the referendum. In Alberta, election officers must reside in the province, be legally allowed to work in Canada, be at least 16 years old (18 for certain roles), pass a criminal background check, and take an oath to maintain a non-partisan stance during the referendum.
He suggested that an additional complication could arise from the byelection that Premier Danielle Smith announced on Monday for the Calgary-Shaw riding.
“Byelections require significantly less effort than general elections, as they involve only one jurisdiction. They aren’t overly complex. However, any distraction like that could be unwelcome when preparing for a major event such as a referendum with 10 questions.”
