Committee Seeks Partial Election of Poilievre through Process of Longest Ballot Casting
A Rebellious Campaign for Change in Canada's Elections
In a controversial move, the "Long Ballot Committee" - a grassroots group advocating for electoral reform - plans to flood the ballots in an upcoming by-election, much like they did in the riding of Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre during the recent federal elections.
Mr. Poilievre is gunning for a seat in the Alberta riding of Battle River-Crowfoot, following his loss of his long-held seat of Carleton to the Liberals on April 28. Damien Kurek, re-elected in Battle River-Crowfoot for the third time last week, has pledged to step down to make way for Mr. Poilievre.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has indicated that he will trigger the by-election soon to give the Conservative leader the chance to return to the House of Commons. The group that added 85 of the 91 names to the Carleton ballot in the last elections, yet none of them received more than 57 votes, is poised to do it again.
They aim to highlight the need for pressure for electoral reform, suggesting that politicians should recuse themselves and hand over decisions related to electoral rules to a permanent, independent, and non-partisan body, like a citizens' assembly.
In 2021, the "Long Ballot Committee" began targeting specific ridings. They expanded their activism to federal by-elections in 2024 and the 2025 general election. Their core mission is to pressure lawmakers into adopting electoral reform by demonstrating the impracticality of Canada’s first-past-the-post system.
Their tactics include nominating large numbers of candidates to create unwieldy ballots, forcing procedural delays and voter frustration. Recent examples include the Montreal (2024) and Toronto—St. Paul’s (2024) by-elections, where the committee organized 91 and 77 candidates, respectively, creating long and cumbersome ballots. The Carleton riding (2025) ballot, with 97 centimeters in length and two columns of names, faced similar challenges.
However, their methods have drawn criticism. Critics argue that the committee’s methods undermine democratic processes, as ballots require additional printing resources, and counting delays risk eroding public trust in electoral integrity. Ethical concerns have been raised regarding the candidates who lack local ties, while some members have run repeatedly across provinces without campaigning. Despite this, some view it as civil disobedience to spark reform, while opponents dismiss it as performative activism that complicates elections without offering concrete solutions.
With the upcoming by-election in sight, the committee sees it as another opportunity to put the spotlight on electoral reform. Yet, tangible policy changes remain elusive, as major parties have yet to prioritize electoral system overhaul despite the group’s persistent demonstrations.
Meanwhile, Mr. Poilievre has yet to comment on the matter since the election and faces a likely absence from the entire spring session of the House of Commons, which is set to begin on May 26, due to his election loss.
- The Long Ballot Committee, known for their activism in federal elections, plans to nominate a large number of candidates in Alberta's Crowfoot riding, similar to their previous strategies.
- In the general news, there is speculation that the Committee's tactics, including flooding ballots with numerous candidates, may highlight the need for electoral reform, but could also raise questions about democratic processes.
- The French candidates who might be part of this Committee aim to press for policy-and-legislation changes in Alberta, suggesting that politicians should relinquish control of electoral rules to a non-partisan body.
- Despite the efforts of the Long Ballot Committee, major political parties in Canada have yet to prioritize electoral system overhaul, leaving potential changes in the realm of general news until Policy-and-legislation decides otherwise.
