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Some Albertans who received their mail-in ballots for the province’s fall referendum say they were surprised and concerned by a self-declaration requirement they saw on the front page of their voting package and fear it could deter others from casting their votes.
Emma Wilkins said when she opened her special ballot Wednesday evening, she was shocked to see one of the self-declaration requirements — with a warning — on the first page.
“I feel really like I don’t know what to do next, and [I’m] disheartened,” the Edmonton voter said.
The special ballot package she received says voters are required to declare they aren’t able to vote at an in-person polling station before or on election day before they fill out the mail-in ballots. It says the penalty for a false declaration could be a fine of up to $50,000 or imprisonment of up to two years, or both.
Elections Alberta says while voters still need to self-declare things like that they are Canadian citizens and are 18 or older, the language seen in the voting packages about not being able to vote in person doesn’t apply to the Oct. 19 referendum.
But some voters CBC News spoke with who received the packages say they are still anxious about what they saw.
“We’re supposed to go through a free and fair election process and this is feeling really unfair right now,” Wilkins said.
Emma Wilkins flips through her mail-in ballot package, with the self-declaration appearing on the first page. (Paul Rampersaud/CBC News)
She said she applied for a mail-in ballot in July, as she anticipated long lines at polling stations on referendum day.
In July, Elections Alberta issued a news release about special ballot packages, saying there will be no requirement for a voter to provide an excuse for asking for a mail-in ballot.
LISTEN | Elections Alberta on special referendum ballots:
Edmonton AM8:17Elections Alberta to send hundreds of thousands of special referendum ballots beginning today
Elections Alberta will start sending out special ballots today ahead of the fall referendum on October 19. The ballots allow people to skip the polling stations and vote on all 10 questions by mail. Jennifer Maskoske is the director of elections operations with Elections Alberta.
On Thursday, Elections Alberta addressed concerns about the self-declaration in a news release, which said it was “carryover language from a previous version of the Election Act which required reasons to apply for a special ballot.”
The organization said it will accept mail-in ballots if voters cross out the line that reads, “I declare that I am unable to vote at an advance voting place or a voting place on Election Day,” and then complete the rest of the declaration.
Wilkins said she wonders what this inapplicable self-declaration request could mean for voters.
“I don’t know how this could have been missed, I mean it is such a massive mistake, not to mention with so much cost,” she said.
“Eventually, it trickles down to taxpayers. On such a crucial election to make such a large mistake, it’s very surprising.”
Lynn Zwicky is another Edmonton voter who expressed the same concerns about her special ballot. She said she worries the warning about potential penalties may keep some voters from going through with filling out their mail-in ballots.
“I wonder how many people have special ballots like me and have a problem with the declaration,” she said.
“Will they be scared off? And if they’re scared off, then they won’t vote.”
Zwicky said she also applied for a special ballot to get ahead of long lines.
She said the referendum appears to her to be quite complicated, with voters having to submit answers to all 10 questions on separate ballots. She said she believes it’s crucial for Albertans to be proactive about understanding the questions ahead of the vote.
As of Tuesday, Elections Alberta said it had recorded 225,000 requests for mail-in ballots. That number is nearly four times the 59,589 special ballots requested for the 2023 provincial election.
Wilkins said she believes things could get complicated if voters feel hesitant to go forward with the self-declaration on the special ballot and then debate whether to go in person to vote.
“I think it’s another reinforcement that this is an extremely burdensome process that’s created so much stress,” she said.
“At the end of the day, it’s voters who are also feeling the brunt of it and may not be able to vote, even when they want to.”
Elections Alberta has moved up the deadline to apply for special ballots to Sept. 25. The deadline was originally Oct. 9.
Gordon McClure, Alberta’s chief electoral officer, said Thursday voters can apply for and return ballots within Elections Alberta’s allotted time frame.
The referendum, which asks questions on issues related to immigration, the Constitution and whether Alberta should remain a part of Canada or begin the process of holding a binding vote on whether to separate, will take place on Oct. 19.