Voters in the sprawling rural riding of Battle River–Crowfoot are casting ballots today in a federal byelection that has drawn national attention thanks to an unusually long candidate list and the presence of Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre on the ballot.
The seat was left vacant earlier this year when Conservative MP Damien Kurek stepped down following the spring election to make way for Poilievre, who lost in his longtime Ottawa-area riding of Carleton after seven consecutive wins.
Battle River–Crowfoot is considered one of the safest Conservative seats in the country, and Poilievre is widely expected to win handily. Still, Elections Canada says the riding has set a record for the number of candidates, with 214 names on the official list.
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More than 200 of those candidates are independents running under the umbrella of the Longest Ballot Committee, a protest movement designed to challenge the country’s first-past-the-post electoral system. Of the remaining 10 candidates, most represent registered political parties.
The unusual circumstances mean voters will use write-in ballots instead of the traditional list. Elections Canada says ballots will be counted even if names are misspelled, as long as voter intent is clear, and reference sheets with candidate names are available at every polling station.
The agency has warned that results could take longer than usual to report because of the blank ballot system. More than 14,000 electors have already cast ballots during advance voting, and there are over 86,000 eligible voters in the riding.
The unusually crowded field has not come without controversy. Independent candidate Sarah Spanier recently spoke out about harassment during the campaign, saying the influx of names has complicated what was already a heated contest.
Polls are open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. local time. Election results can be found HERE