New provisions in Alberta to prevent election fraud are a little like erecting sturdy alligator fencing around every pool in the province. Nobody’s arguing alligators belong in pools; it just seems like a disproportionate response to a sparse threat.

How sparse? during the past decade, Elections Alberta has reprimanded five voters: three who were not eligible to cast a vote, and two who voted twice. Nevertheless, Premier Danielle Smith enacted a suite of new fortifications to increase public confidence in election integrity, including an elector register requiring a signed attestation from every voter, and ditching electronic tabulating machines.

This week, voters in municipal elections got a taste of the new requirements in action. Lineups crawled. Results arrived in a slow trickle as e

See Full Page