Returning officers assigned to polls across the province are honing in on hiring as Alberta’s referendum approaches. As of Wednesday, Elections Alberta says more than 53,000 people have applied to fill the 60,000 worker gap the agency said it required for a 10-ballot vote. So far, nearly 30,000 people have been hired. Elections Alberta spokesperson Maia Hanrahan says while that may seem far off mark, it’s likely the most the agency has ever seen. “I think this is a really fantastic result so far. If you look at how many people were hired for election officers for the 2023 provincial general election, there were a bit over 13,000,” she explained. “This is already more than double the amount hired for the upcoming referendum.” Wendy Campbell, the returning officer for the electoral division of Edmonton-Southwest, says the training and hiring process happen nearly simultaneously. “Every election worker gets training specific to their position … There are procedures and forms for almost every eventuality that can happen for special events or advance training or on election day itself,” she told CTV News Edmonton. Her division, like many across the province, is still in the active hiring process. Nearly 641,000 special ballot applications have been received by the agency as of Wednesday – nearly 30,000 more than even the day before. Applications are expected still to mount as the deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot falls on Friday at midnight. “It’s hard to predict what the turnout will be, but we are planning for a higher turnout just to make sure we have the staff and that we’re ready. We’re already seeing a high interest in special ballots. We’ve received more than 10 times the number of requests we got in the 2023 general election,” Hanrahan said. And while hiring is still sparse in some rural Alberta communities across both the north and south, Hanrahan says Elections Alberta is confident the day – albeit featuring long lines and hand-counting – will run smoothly. “If people are able to not vote during a peak period, that might help their voter experience. I also encourage voters to review the questions in advance before they arrive to vote,” she said. Campbell, who will also oversee special requests for voters travelling during the referendum and the advance voting days, says the busy time is worthwhile. “I personally am looking forward to seeing a big voter turnout. That’s why we hold elections, to have people have their say,” she said. “From the implementation perspective, I’m looking forward to having my team, and I’m confident they will present a unified experience that the electors of Edmonton-Southwest will come out and appreciate.” Mail-in ballots are due by Oct. 16 at 5 p.m., but Elections Alberta asks that they are mailed by Oct. 9 in order to reach their destination on time. Electors are able to use the Canada Post tracking information to see the status of their vote: a “received,” the agency says, means the vote has gone through successfully. Canada Post told CTV News Edmonton in a statement that it was working closely with Elections Alberta to keep the logistics of mail-in voting smooth, but asked voters to be mindful that all ballots need to make it to Edmonton. “It is important to note that Canada Post’s delivery standard for regular lettermail is two business days locally and three business days within a province,” the statement said. “These are estimates and not a guarantee as factors outside of our control can come into play.” With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Miriam Valdes-Carletti
