Groom says voters face long list at ballot box

By Brian Konrad

So many choices may overwhelm voters

Multiple choices in civic election may be ‘daunting’ for electors on Monday

Oct 13, 2021 | 12:16 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — In addition to voting for muncipal councils and school boards next Monday, Albertans will also be faced with two referendum questions on the ballot, and a senate election ballot.

One question asks Albertans if the principle of equalization payments should be removed from the constitution.

The other, asks voters if they’re in favour of adopting year-round Daylight Saving time, eliminating the need to change clocks twice a year.

Then there’s Alberta’s senate selection with 13 candidates on the ballot.

Medicine Hat College political science instructor Jim Groom says voters may balk at all the different options on the ballot.

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“You’d like to go in and think you’re contributing by selecting candidates you’ve really bought into and they really present a good viable solution to certain problems,” says Groom.

“But when you have that many candidates and that many selections, it’s got to be completely overwhelming for the average elector,” offers Groom.

Groom says the referendum questions may draw people out to vote, but he also wonders how many will simply do that, and leave their other ballots open.

With regard to the questions on equalization and Daylight Saving Time, Groom feels the wording on equalization was the result of the 1995 sovereignty referendum in Quebec that eventually drew scrutiny from the Supreme Court, while the daylight saving time question doesn’t include the option of staying on Mountain Time year-round.

“Every time you come up with a referendum, there’s people who say the question’s not fair, or it’s biased one way or the other or the question leads to the answer,” says Groom.

Groom also wonders if a low turnout on Monday would lead to questions about the legitimacy of the results on the referendum and senate selections.

With so many choices, Grooms jokes voters may want to pack a lunch when they go to the ballot box.

Advance polls are open daily until Friday from 2-8 p.m. at the Hockey Hounds Recreation Centre and the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede Grandstand, and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.