Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is campaigning in the Alberta riding of Battle River-Crowfoot for an upcoming federal by-election. Advance voting starts on Friday, and Poilievre is expected to win comfortably on August 18. Political analysts are closely watching the influence of the Longest Ballot Committee in this election.

The Longest Ballot Committee is an activist group that has targeted seven federal ridings, including one in Ontario, since 2019. The group criticizes Canada’s first-past-the-post electoral system and advocates for a shift to proportional representation. While the committee claims its efforts have been effective, its actual impact appears minimal.

In the 2019 election, the committee, in association with the now-defunct Rhinoceros Party, attempted to set a Guinness World Record for the longest ballot papers. They focused on Regina-Qu’Appelle, the riding of then-Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, who won with over 63 percent of the vote. Only two of the eight candidates were affiliated with the committee.

Subsequent attempts to influence elections have not yielded better results. In the 2021 election, the committee had 15 of 21 candidates in St. Boniface-St. Vital, and in the 2022 by-election, they had 33 of 40 candidates in Mississauga-Lakeshore. In both cases, the Liberals retained their seats. In the 2023 by-election for Winnipeg South Centre, the committee had 42 of 48 candidates, yet the Liberals again held the seat.

The committee also participated in two by-elections in 2024, flooding Toronto-St. Paul’s with 77 of 84 candidates and LaSalle-Émard-Verdun with 79 of 91 candidates. However, the outcomes favored Conservative and Bloc Quebecois candidates, unrelated to the issue of proportional representation.

Despite their claims, the Longest Ballot Committee's presence in the recent Carleton election did not significantly affect the results. They fielded 85 of 91 candidates but garnered only 824 votes out of 86,060 cast, which is about 0.01 percent of the total. Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy received 43,846 votes, or 50.95 percent, while Poilievre received 39,333 votes, or 45.7 percent, indicating that he would have lost regardless of the committee's involvement.

Public interest in electoral reform exists, with a January 2025 poll showing that 68 percent of Canadians support moving toward a proportional representation system. However, the committee's candidates in Carleton did not succeed, suggesting that their influence is limited.

As Poilievre prepares for the Battle River-Crowfoot by-election, he faces a unique challenge. The riding is considered one of the safest for Conservatives, with former MP Damien Kurek winning with over 85 percent of the vote in previous elections. Elections Canada will implement special ballots, allowing voters to write in candidates' names, which may lead to some misspellings.

In response to the Longest Ballot Committee's activities, Poilievre has proposed a bill to change election rules. He suggests reducing the number of signatures required for candidates from 100 to 0.05 percent of a riding's population and limiting electors to signing only one nomination form.

While the Longest Ballot Committee's tactics may be seen as disruptive, they are not considered undemocratic. The presence of small parties and one-issue candidates is a feature of Canada’s parliamentary democracy. Political parties must develop strategies to address the challenges posed by such movements. The Longest Ballot Committee has yet to significantly alter election outcomes, and its influence may continue to diminish.