DIDSBURY - The byelection to replace former Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills MLA Nathan Cooper will be held on Monday, June 23, Premier Danielle Smith announced Monday afternoon.
Cooper's resignation as the constituency's member of the legislature was effective Thursday at midnight. He is replacing Jame Rajotte as the province's senior representative in Washington.
Two candidates have already been named by their parties to run in the Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills byelection: UCP candidate Tara Sawyer and Republican Party of Alberta candidate Cameron Davies who is also the party's leader.
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Alberta’s New Democratic Party (NDP) has opened nominations to select its candidate for the Olds-Didsbury-Three-Hills byelection. The party had originally planned to chose a candidate June 14.
The Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills riding includes Kneehill County, portions of Mountain View County, as well as the towns of Olds, Carstairs, Didsbury, Three Hills and Trochu.
Cooper won the riding with 75.29 per cent of the vote in the 2023 general election.
The premier also announced by-elections in Edmonton-Ellerslie and Edmonton-Strathcona.
The chief electoral officer has the authority, under sections 9(1) and 47(1) of the Election Act to appoint returning officers and election clerks.
These officers play a vital role in the fair and impartial management of provincial general elections and byelections, officials said in a release issued Monday.
“Appointments have been made for the returning officers and election clerks in Edmonton-Ellerslie, Edmonton-Strathcona, and Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, and they are ready to conduct voting in their respective electoral divisions,” said Gordon McClure, Alberta's chief electoral officer.
Key Dates for the byelections include: candidate nominations are now open and close on June 5 at 2 p.m.; Tuesday, June 17 – advance voting begins; Saturday, June 21 – last day of advance voting; Monday, June 23 – election day.
All voting places will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Unofficial results will be available after voting closes on election day. Official results will be announced on July 3, at 10 a.m.
Voter eligibility - Canadian citizens who are at least 18 years of age or older on Election Day are eligible to vote if they are an ordinary resident of one of these electoral divisions. If you are unsure if you reside in an electoral division having a by-election, use the “Where Do I Vote” tool on the Elections Alberta website to determine your eligibility. The tool will be available once all voting locations have been confirmed.
Voter registration - Electors may register to vote online at voterlink.ab.ca until June 11, or by contacting Elections Alberta or the local returning office before 4 p.m. on June 14. Electors can also register to vote at any advance voting location in their electoral division or at their assigned voting place on election day.
Electors who are already registered to vote at their current address do not need to register again.
Voter identification - To vote in the byelections, electors must prove their identity and current physical address. There are many ways to do this, including: providing one piece of government-issued photo ID, including the voter’s full name, current physical address, and a photo; providing two pieces of ID, both containing the voter’s full name and one showing their current physical address; having another registered elector with identification who resides in their voting area vouch for them; having an authorized signatory complete an attestation form.
More than 50 different types of identification have been authorized by the chief electoral officer to be used as identification to vote. Voters may visit elections.ab.ca/voters/id-required-to-vote for a full list.
Special ballots - Electors have 28 days to vote by special ballot beginning today. Special ballots may be completed in the returning office, picked up by an elector’s designate, or sent to the elector anywhere in the world. Applications can be submitted online at elections.ab.ca. See Elections Alberta’s website for more information on eligibility and deadlines for special ballots.
Where to vote - During advance voting, voters can choose to vote at any advance voting location in their electoral division. On Election Day, voters must vote at their assigned voting place. Voting locations will be published on elections.ab.ca once all voting locations are confirmed by the returning officers.
Where to Vote cards will be mailed to electors in each of the electoral divisions, provided there is no postal disruption during the by-election period. In the event of a postal disruption, Elections Alberta will implement a robust mitigation plan with alternative communication methods to assist electors in finding their voting locations.
Additional information will follow on Elections Alberta’s website and social media, as well as other media channels. Voters may contact Elections Alberta at 1-877-422-VOTE (8683) or the local returning office for assistance.
