Longest Ballot Committee Plans 200 Candidates in Alberta Byelection

The Longest Ballot Committee (LBC), an advocacy group protesting Canada’s first-past-the-post electoral system, is planning to field 200 candidates in the Alberta riding of Battle River–Crowfoot, where Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre seeks to regain a seat after losing his long-held Carleton riding to a Liberal challenger. The LBC previously contributed to Poilievre’s defeat by running over 90 candidates in Carleton, resulting in a nearly meter-long ballot and voting delays. Their efforts aim to draw attention to electoral reform by making ballots unwieldy and highlighting the lack of promised changes to the voting system. Battle River–Crowfoot is considered one of the safest Conservative seats, and local MP Damien Kurek has agreed to step aside to allow Poilievre to run. The movement, loosely linked to the satirical Rhinoceros Party, has set Canadian records for candidate numbers on a single ballot, sparking debate about the impact on voter accessibility and the functioning of elections. Prime Minister Mark Carney has said he will call the byelection as soon as possible to facilitate Poilievre’s swift return to Parliament.