Alberta
Writ drops for Alberta provincial election on May 29
United Conservative Party Leader Danielle Smith, centre, speaks at a campaign launch rally in Calgary, on Saturday, April 29, 2023. Smith is expected to call a provincial election during an announcement later this morning in Calgary. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Calgary
Writs issued for the 2023 Provincial General Election
Alberta’s Chief Electoral Officer, Glen Resler, confirms that Writs were issued today to administer elections across Alberta. The 31st Provincial General Election will be held on May 29, 2023.
Alberta’s Chief Electoral Officer, Glen Resler, confirms that Writs were issued today to administer elections across Alberta. The 31st Provincial General Election will be held on May 29, 2023.
“We are excited to welcome Albertans back to the polls this month,” said Resler. “Returning Officers have been appointed, and we are in the process of recruiting and training nearly 20,000 Election Officers to conduct voting in the 87 electoral divisions across the province.”
Voter Eligibility
Canadian citizens who reside in Alberta and are at least 18 years of age or older on Election Day are eligible to vote in the Provincial General Election.
Voter Registration
Electors may register to vote online at www.voterlink.ab.ca until May 17, 2023, by contacting Elections Alberta or their local returning office before 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 20.
Electors can also register to vote at any advance voting location in Alberta or at their assigned voting place on Election Day.
Electors who are already registered to vote at their current address do not need to register again.
Voter Identification
To vote in the 2023 Provincial General Election, electors are required to prove their identity and current address. There are several ways to do this, including:
- Providing one piece of Government-issued photo ID, including the voter’s full name, current address, and a photo.
- Providing two pieces of ID, both containing the voter’s full name and one that lists their current physical address.
- Having another registered elector with identification that resides in their voting area vouch for them.
- Having an authorized signatory complete an attestation form.
More than 50 different types of identification have been authorized by the Chief Electoral Officer to be used as identification to vote.
Key Timelines
Electors have 28 days to vote by Special Ballot beginning today. Special Ballots may be completed in the returning office, picked up by a designate of the elector, or mailed to the elector anywhere in the world. Applications can be submitted online on the Elections Alberta website.
Candidate nominations are now open and end on May 11, 2023, at 2:00 p.m.
Advance voting begins on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, and ends on Saturday, May 27, 2023.
Election Day is Monday, May 29, 2023. All voting places will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Unofficial results will be available after voting closes on Election Day.
Official results will be announced on June 8, 2023, at 10:00 a.m.
Returning Offices
Returning offices in all electoral divisions open today across Alberta. Returning offices are open on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and on Voting Days from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Returning Office addresses and contact information can be found at: https://elections.ab.ca/
New for 2023, Satellite Offices are also being opened in six geographically large electoral divisions to provide more service options for electors. These include:
- 54 – Cardston-Siksika
- 55 – Central Peace-Notley
- 59 – Drumheller-Stettler
- 60 – Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche
- 77 – Peace River
- 80 – Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre
Satellite Offices are open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and on Voting Days from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
For any questions or concerns regarding the provincial election, visit www.elections.ab.ca, call 1-877-422-VOTE, or email [email protected].
Information for media will be available throughout the election period at https://www.elections.ab.ca/
- Information sheets on topics such as Registering to Vote, Voter Identification, Accessible Voting and Tabulators and Voter Assist Terminals.
- Photo and video assets.
- Processes for accessing a voting place on voting days.
Elections Alberta is an independent, non-partisan office of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta responsible for administering provincial elections, by-elections, and referenda.
Grande Prairie. Getty Images photo
From the Canadian Energy Centre
Federal cash grab driving costs for local governments, driving up property taxes
New data shows the painful economic impact of the federal carbon tax on municipalities.
Municipalities in Alberta paid out more than $37 million in federal carbon taxes in 2023, based on a recent survey commissioned by Alberta Municipal Affairs, with data provided to the Canadian Energy Centre.
About $760,000 of that came from the City of Grande Prairie. In a statement, Mayor Jackie Clayton said “if the carbon tax were removed, City property taxes could be reduced by 0.6 per cent, providing direct financial relief to residents and businesses in Grande Prairie.”
Conducted in October, the survey asked municipal districts, towns and cities in Alberta to disclose the amount of carbon tax paid out for the heating and electrifying of municipal assets and fuel for fleet vehicles.
With these funds, Alberta municipalities could have hired 7,789 high school students at $15 per hour last year with the amount paid to Ottawa.
The cost on municipalities includes:
Lloydminster: $422,248
Calgary: $1,230,300 (estimate)
Medicine Hat: $876,237
Lethbridge: $1,398,000 (estimate)
Grande Prairie: $757,562
Crowsnest Pass: $71,100
Red Deer: $1,495,945
Bonnyville: $19,484
Hinton: $66,829
Several municipalities also noted substantial indirect costs from the carbon tax, including higher rates from vendors that serve the municipality – like gravel truck drivers and road repair providers – passing increased fuel prices onto local governments.
The rising price for materials and goods like traffic lights, steel, lumber and cement, due to higher transportation costs are also hitting the bottom line for local governments.
The City of Grande Prairie paid out $89 million in goods and services in 2023, and the indirect costs of the carbon tax “have had an inflationary impact on those expenses” in addition to the direct costs of the tax.
In her press conference announcing Alberta’s challenge to the federal carbon tax on Oct. 29, 2024, Premier Danielle Smith addressed the pressures the carbon tax places on municipal bottom lines.
“In 2023 alone, the City of Calgary could have hired an additional 112 police officers or firefighters for the amount they sent to Ottawa for the carbon tax,” she said.
In a statement issued on Oct. 7, 2024, Ontario Conservative MP Ryan Williams, shadow minister for international trade, said this issue is nationwide.
“In Belleville, Ontario, the impact of the carbon tax is particularly notable. The city faces an extra $410,000 annually in costs – a burden that directly translates to an increase of 0.37 per cent on residents’ property tax bills.”
There is no rebate yet provided on retail carbon pricing for towns, cities and counties.
In October, the council in Belleville passed a motion asking the federal government to return in full all carbon taxes paid by municipalities in Canada.
The unaltered reproduction of this content is free of charge with attribution to the Canadian Energy Centre.
Alberta’s government is launching a public engagement to gather input about legislation and policies around assisted suicide, also referred to as medical assistance in dying (MAID).
Medical assistance in dying is a process that allows an eligible person to receive assistance from a medical practitioner in ending their life. To be found eligible, a person must be suffering from a serious and permanent medical condition.
Alberta’s government is reviewing how MAID is regulated to ensure there is a consistent process as well as oversight that protects vulnerable Albertans, specifically those living with disabilities or suffering from mental health challenges. An online survey is now open for Albertans to share their views and experiences with MAID until Dec. 20.
“We recognize that medical assistance in dying is a very complex and often personal issue and is an important, sensitive and emotional matter for patients and their families. It is important to ensure this process has the necessary supports to protect the most vulnerable. I encourage Albertans who have experience with and opinions on MAID to take this survey.”
In addition to the online survey, Alberta’s government will also be engaging directly with academics, medical associations, public bodies, religious organizations, regulatory bodies, advocacy groups and others that have an interest in and/or working relationship to the MAID process, health care, disabilities and mental health care.
Feedback gathered through this process will help inform the Alberta government’s planning and policy decision making, including potential legislative changes regarding MAID in Alberta.
“Our government has been clear that we do not support the provision of medically assisted suicide for vulnerable Albertans facing mental illness as their primary purpose for seeking their own death. Instead, our goal is to build a continuum of care where vulnerable Albertans can live in long-term health and fulfilment. We look forward to the feedback of Albertans as we proceed with this important issue.”
“As MAID is a federally legislated and regulated program that touches the lives of many Albertans, our priority is to ensure we have robust safeguards to protect vulnerable individuals. Albertans’ insights will be essential in developing thoughtful policies on this complex issue.”
The federal Criminal Code sets out the MAID eligibility criteria, procedural safeguards and reporting obligations. The federal government has paused MAID eligibility for individuals with a mental illness as their sole underlying medical condition until March 2027 to ensure the provincial health care systems have processes and supports in place. Alberta’s government does not support expanding MAID eligibility to include those facing depression or mental illness and continues to call on the federal government to end this policy altogether.
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