Elections Alberta says it has received more than 650,000 requests for special ballots for the Oct. 19 referendum — a huge increase in the number of requests received for the 2023 provincial general election.
In a news release Monday, the agency said it has received approximately 658,000 requests for special ballots, and nearly 100,000 special ballots have been returned and approved, marking those electors as having voted.
The agency advised that the total number of requests will change slightly as all final requests received before the Friday, Sept. 25, deadline are entered into the system.
Elections Alberta spokesperson Maia Hanrahan told CBC’s Calgary Eyeopener Monday that the agency is now working through the “high volume” of requests, with about 35,000 applications left to approve.
“In the 2023 … provincial general election, we received a bit over 59,000 requests. So this is a bit over 11 times that amount now. So we are working through processing all of these and that’s definitely picked up,” Hanrahan said.
The agency said more than 82 per cent of requests have been approved for fulfilment and mailing, with 0.7 per cent rejected either at application or on return.
Elections Alberta attributed the increase in requests to the new availability of special ballot voting to all eligible electors without a reason.
It also credited the surge in requests to the fact that voters must vote within their electoral division for the advance vote or at their assigned location on Oct. 19.
More than 500,000 Albertans have applied to vote by mail in referendum: Elections Alberta
The referendum features 10 questions, including a question about whether Alberta should remain in Canada or whether the provincial government should start the process to hold a binding referendum on secession.
The last day for Elections Alberta to receive a special ballot by mail is Friday, Oct. 16, at 5 p.m., Hanrahan said. The agency noted that special ballots cannot be delivered in person.
Hanrahan said people who have voted by special ballot should check the online tracking link attached to the ballot to make sure it has been received by Elections Alberta.
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The agency said, “If your special ballot has not been marked [as] received and voted by Oct. 18 at 5:00 p.m., you will not be struck from the voters list, and you may vote in person on election day.”
“You may also choose to vote in person in advance voting if you do not believe your special ballot will arrive in time,” the agency said.
“If you vote in advance, your name will be removed from the voter’s list and if your special ballot is received by the deadline, it will be rejected, as you are already marked as voted.”
Hanrahan said Canada Post is encouraging voters to submit their special ballot by mail by Oct. 9 at the latest to ensure it gets to Elections Alberta by the Oct. 16 deadline.
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