Alberta Minute: Voting Day, Taxpayer Protection, and a Very Close Election

Alberta Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Alberta politics.

This Week In Alberta:

• Today is Election Day! If you're over the age of 18, are a Canadian citizen, and an Alberta resident, you can cast your vote today! Full details of eligibility criteria are listed here on the Elections Alberta website. You must vote at your designated polling place, all of which will be open 9:00 am to 8:00 pm. You can find your designated polling place using your postal code here on the Elections Alberta website. If you have questions or have trouble navigating the Elections Alberta website, please just reply to this email and we’ll help out if we can.
  
  
• You will need to prove who you are to vote, and the main way to do this is using a valid government-issued ID that includes your photo and your address. Alternatively, you may use two pieces of ID with a combination of information, and in certain circumstances you may be able to vote using an attestation instead. A full list of acceptable ID types are listed here on the Elections Alberta website.
  
  
• We want every eligible Albertan to make their voice count by voting in this election. Once you’ve voted, you can let us know on our website, and then share that with friends to encourage them to vote too.

Last Week In Alberta:

• Most polls show improvement for the UCP over the last week or so since the debate, and both province-wide and Calgary numbers suggest a narrow UCP victory. But this is an incredibly close race, so you never know! 
  
  
• Danielle Smith announced that, if the UCP were to be reelected, Bill 1 would be their Taxpayer Protection Amendment Act, which would ensure that no new taxes on residents or job creators can be levied without Albertans voting for them in a referendum. Rachel Notley also announced the NDP’s first three bills. Their Bill 1 would be the “Save Albertans Money Act” and would include capping power bills and auto insurance, freezing tuition, and implementing $10/day childcare. Bill 2 would repeal the Sovereignty Act, and Bill 3 is designed to prevent any future government from leaving the Canada Pension Plan.
  
  
• On the first day of early voting, Albertans set a record for the most ballots ever cast during an advance polling in Alberta. More than 161,000 people voted - 16% more than the opening-day record set in 2019. Throughout the entire advance voting period, more than 750,000 people voted, which is up on last time, but not significantly given the province's increase in population.

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If you're not in a position to donate, we understand, but if you appreciate our work, you can help by spreading our message. Please forward this email to your friends, follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and help make sure every Albertan knows what's going on in our province.