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Alberta rejects Elections Alberta's request to delay vote or freeze boundaries

politicsNov 2, 202618261

Justice Minister Mickey Amery rejected Elections Alberta chief electoral officer Gordon McClure’s request to either postpone the next provincial election or keep the current electoral boundaries. McClure’s letter, shared publicly by the Alberta NDP on Oct. 30, asked MLAs to consider “several operational realities” after warning the agency is stretched following the recent referendum and that a typical provincial vote requires up to 18 months of preparation. The next election remains scheduled for Oct. 18, 2027. The immediate dispute centers on an advisory panel report on new electoral boundaries that is set to be tabled in the legislature Monday; Amery said he expects final boundaries before the end of the fall sitting, which would give Elections Alberta nearly 11 months to prepare. Amery wrote that Alberta law does not guarantee Elections Alberta lengthy advance notice and that election readiness is part of the organization’s statutory mandate, while McClure had highlighted work needed to establish electoral geography, validate maps, update systems and coordinate provincewide operations. Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi has said the forthcoming report gerrymanders ridings in Lethbridge and Calgary.

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