Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is looking to return to the House of Commons with a win in Alberta’s Battle River–Crowfoot byelection on Monday.The byelection comes after incumbent MP Damien Kurek stepped down earlier this year. Kurek won the riding with more than 80 per cent of the vote in the last federal election in April.Battle River–Crowfoot is considered one of the safest Conservative ridings in Canada, with the party usually receiving more than 80 per cent of the vote. The only recent dip came in 2021, when support dropped to 70 per cent due to gains by the People’s Party of Canada.Mount Royal University political science professor Lori Williams said in an interview last month that Poilievre is expected to win. However, there’s uncertainty about the margin.Poilievre not only has to win this election to prove himself to his party, but he is also facing a leadership review in January..Elections Canada announces change to Battle River–Crowfoot byelection ballot as number of candidates surpasses 200.According to Elections Canada’s website, there are around 84,500 voters living within Battle River–Crowfoot, over an area of 52,600 square kilometres. The riding includes the municipalities of Camrose, Drumheller and Wainwright.A total of 214 candidates are featured in Alberta’s byelection due to the move by the Longest Ballot Committee, a protest group pushing for electoral reform, which has been targeting Poilievre’s ridings. The group created a list of 91 candidates targeting his Carleton riding in Ottawa during the last federal election in April.Elections Canada has announced plans to tackle the move, where voters must hand‑write the name of their candidate of choice.Although polls will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. MT, counting will begin at 6:30 p.m. Elections Canada says the process may take longer than usual due to the unprecedented number of candidates.While the majority of the candidates are independent, only a few are associated with a political party. The ones confirmed to be residing within the riding are:Bonnie Critchley (Independent), lives in TofieldDarcy Spady (Liberal), lives in Three HillsJonathan Bridges (People’s Party), resident of 15 yearsSarah Spanier (Independent), resident of the riding.The candidates who have political affiliations and live outside the riding include:Jeff Willerton (Christian Heritage Party), lives in Airdrie, according to his profile on X.Katherine Swampy (NDP), a former Samson Cree Band councillor who previously ran for the federal NDP in Edmonton Centre in 2019 and the Alberta NDP in Maskwacis–Wetaskiwin in 2023.Michael Harris (Libertarian Party), lives in Drumheller, northeast of Calgary.Ahmed Hassan (Centrist Party), lives in Calgary, according to his LinkedIn profile.Grant Abraham (United Party), born in Edmonton, with family ties to the riding, including a mother who attended school in Three Hills, according to his website.Ashley MacDonald (Green Party of Canada), lives and works in Red Deer.Kenneth Kirk (Marijuana Party), from Vulcan and lives in EdmontonConservative Leader Pierre Poilievre lives in Ottawa, but was born in Calgary.In a post on YouTube, independent candidate Preston Hoff says he “grew up in the riding of Battle River–Crowfoot in Stettler. After Grade 9, I moved to Metiskow, and in Hughenden, I graduated from high school.”More information about the full list of candidates is available online.This is a developing story. More to come
