Elections Alberta has walked back its messaging after it incorrectly tweeted that Albertans must be registered in order to vote in the provincial election on May 29.
“You must be a registered voter to cast your ballot and can save time voting by registering online in advance,” Elections Alberta said in a tweet Thursday.
This isn’t true, University of Alberta political science professor Jared Wesley told QR Calgary’s Rob Breakenridge Thursday.
“You can show up on election day with ID, or you can have somebody vouch for your ID, or you can sign a form that attests that you live where you say that you live and you can be placed on the list of electors,” said Wesley.
“According to the law, as long as you’re on the list of electors, you can vote.”
Elections Alberta clarified later in the day.
“As per the legislation, an elector must appear on the list of electors to be eligible to vote, but there are many ways this can occur, including registering in person during advance voting or on election day,” said Elections Alberta.
Elections Alberta lists all the ways a voter can be registered on its website.
Wesley said some would-be voters could stay home if they see the task of registering to vote as too much trouble.
“People are kind of primed to think of elections as more arduous than they are and the more barriers we can remove to voting, the better,” he said.
Wesley said it seems Elections Alberta wants an organized election day and getting people pre-registered makes it easier on election workers, which he doesn’t dispute.
“I also don’t dispute it’s a great idea for folks to go out and register ahead of time. It saves you time,” he said.
“But that’s not the message that folks in particularly in traditionally marginalised communities need to hear. They need to hear that voting is easy.”
To register to vote before heading to the polls, Albertans who received a “Register to Vote” letter in the mail can use the directions laid out to register all electors in the household.
An Alberta driver’s licence number or identification card number can also be used to register on the Elections Alberta website.