Longest ballot protest in Alberta federal by-election is ‘abuse of process,’ says former chief electoral officer

There are 214 candidates running in Monday’s Battle River-Crowfoot by-election, where Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is hoping to win a seat.

Former chief electoral officer Jean-Pierre Kingsley says an electoral reform protest known as the Longest Ballot Committee is unwarranted and unjustified, and is reiterating his long-standing call for politicians to change election laws to address it.

There are a record 214 candidates running in Monday’s Battle River-Crowfoot by-election, where Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is hoping to win a seat. Of those names, 201 are linked to the committee.

The number of candidates prompted Elections Canada to switch to a write-in ballot – a move Mr. Kingsley said he supports. Lists of candidates will be available for electors, according to Elec