Voters in rural Alberta are heading to the polls today for a byelection in the Battle River-Crowfoot riding. This election is attracting significant national attention due to its unusual circumstances. The seat became vacant when Conservative MP Damien Kurek resigned shortly after the spring election. Kurek stepped down to allow party leader Pierre Poilievre to run for a seat.

Poilievre, who previously represented the Ottawa-area riding of Carleton for seven consecutive terms, lost in the April election. The Battle River-Crowfoot riding is considered one of the safest Conservative seats in Canada, and Poilievre is expected to win by a substantial margin.

However, the byelection features a record number of candidates, with over 200 individuals running against Poilievre. Many of these candidates are affiliated with a protest movement known as the Longest Ballot Committee. Due to the high number of candidates, Elections Canada has implemented a modified ballot system. Voters will need to write in the name of their preferred candidate.

Polls are open from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. MT. Elections Canada has indicated that the vote counting process may take longer than usual because of the unique ballot format. In advance voting, more than 14,000 ballots have already been cast. The riding has over 86,000 eligible voters. This byelection is being closely monitored as it unfolds.