Numerous individuals exercised their right to vote ahead of schedule during Alberta's by-election, with over 14,000 ballots cast.
The Battle River-Crowfoot federal by-election took place on August 18, 2025, in Alberta, following the resignation of Conservative MP Damien Kurek. The by-election was strategically scheduled to allow Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who lost his Ottawa-area seat in Carleton earlier in April 2025, a path back to Parliament.
Background
Damien Kurek officially resigned on June 17, 2025, following the legal waiting period after the previous general election's official results. The Governor General issued the writ for the by-election on June 30, 2025, setting the vote for August 18, 2025. The riding is considered a strong Conservative stronghold, making Poilievre’s win expected.
Candidates
Pierre Poilievre, representing the Conservative Party, was the main candidate and won the by-election decisively, securing over 80% of the vote. Bonnie Critchley, an Independent candidate, finished as the runner-up with approximately 10% of the vote.
Voting and Turnout
Advance voting took place over four days (August 8-11, 2025) from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time, and election day voting was held on August 18, 2025, from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. local time. Voter turnout was about 58.82%, with 50,434 of 85,736 registered electors casting ballots, excluding those who registered on election day.
Interestingly, the riding had a record 214 registered candidates due to an effort by the Longest Ballot Committee, resulting in the use of write-in ballots by Elections Canada instead of standard ballots.
While the report does not specify the reasons for Damien Kurek's resignation or mention the results of the April election in Battle River-Crowfoot, it does state that the former riding of Carleton had the highest voter turnout during advance polls in a federal election, according to preliminary data from Elections Canada. More than 43,000 people showed up to cast their ballot early in Carleton, although the report does not specify which election the advance polls data refers to.
The Battle River-Crowfoot byelection is a byelection, not a general election, and it was overseen by Elections Canada. The data provided by Elections Canada is preliminary for both the former riding of Carleton and Battle River-Crowfoot.
Toronto-based General News outlets reported Pierre Poilievre's significant win in the Battle River-Crowfoot federal by-election held in Alberta on August 18, 2025. As a Canadian politician, this victory allowed Poilievre to rejoin Parliament, following his loss in the Ottawa-area seat of Carleton earlier in April 2025.
