Anticipating strong voter turnout, the call is out for more election workers in the Rocky Mountain House area ahead of the Oct. 19 referendum.

Across the province, Elections Alberta says it has received nearly 59,000 applications to work as election officers. That’s a notable increase from the 2023 general election, it says, when about 13,000 election officers were hired.

However, several rural areas, including Rocky Mountain House, have been identified as needing more workers to meet expected election night demand.

To help meet demand, Elections Alberta has introduced a process for groups to work as election officers.

Teams, community groups, non-profits and other organizations can apply as a group directly to the returning officer in their electoral division.

You can apply to be an election officer on the Elections Alberta website or by visiting the returning office at 4904 45 St. in Rocky Mountain House.

Other regions seeking additional election workers include:

• Peace River
• Cardston-Siksika
• Lesser Slave Lake
• Fort McMurray
• Taber-Warner
• Grande Prairie-Wapiti

Overwhelming request for advance ballots

Elections Alberta says it has received approximately 658,000 requests for special ballots.

That’s more than 11 times the number of requests received during the 2023 provincial general election, when it received just under 60,000 special ballot requests.

Elections Alberta says the increase can be attributed to the availability of special ballot voting to all eligible electors without a reason, voter interest and the number of questions electors must vote on.

It also notes that voters must vote within their electoral division during advance voting or at their assigned location on election day.

Voter registration

Elections Alberta says it is noticing some confusion about how voter registration works.

In Alberta, voters need to update their registration when their name or residential address changes.

Elections Alberta warns that the voter registry is not updated automatically, as it does not receive voter information updates through vital statistics or licensing.

An individual’s voter registration must be updated manually by the elector.

This differs from the federal process, where Elections Canada receives updates to its voter registry based on current tax information.

When electors vote by special ballot or in person, they must provide identification that matches their voter registration.

Voter registration can be updated online through Voterlink, by calling the Elections Alberta service centre at 1-877-422-VOTE (8683), or at a voting location when casting a ballot.

Advanced voting Oct. 13-17

In the upcoming referendum, electors will be asked to vote on 10 questions. Nine questions require a “Yes” or “No” response. One question asks electors to choose between two options.