Taft asks auditor general to investigate Alberta election

Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft asked the province's auditor general on Monday to investigate the way Elections Alberta ran the last election.

Taft said some scrutineers are saying this is the "worst-run election they have ever witnessed."

"In some polling stations, scrutineers reported that as many as half the people showing up to vote were not on the voters' lists even though many had lived in the area for 15 or 20 years," he said. "Others were given incorrect information on the voting cards they received from Elections Alberta. In some cases, voters were sent to three different polling stations. The message this sends to voters is their vote doesn't matter."

Taft sent a letter Monday to Auditor General Fred Dunn asking him to investigate, along with a binder containing more than 80 letters, e-mails and other documents outlining people's concerns and complaints about the election.

Taft also alleged that there were shortages of material at polling stations, polling clerks and staff were poorly trained, and they either didn't know the rules or applied them inconsistently. 

Only 41 per cent of Albertans who were eligible to vote cast a ballot in the March 3 election, a record low turnout for Canadian provincial elections. The Progressive Conservative party under Premier Ed Stelmach won 72 of 83 seats. 

Taft is also asking Dunn to investigate the practice of appointing people to work as returning officers.  

According to Elections Alberta, half the returning officers in the last election had connections to the Progressive Conservative party. A spokeswoman confirmed in February that recommendations for appointments came from the premier's office. 

Returning officers are supposed to be neutral electoral referees, hiring poll workers and ensuring election rules are followed. They can also cast a ballot to break a deadlock in the rare event of a tie.

"It would be like going to an Edmonton Eskimos game and finding out half the referees were part of the Calgary Stampeders organization," Taft said. "The voting public has to have confidence returning officers are acting impartially. Not only must the system be fair, it must be seen to be fair."

In Calgary Monday, Premier Ed Stelmach had little response to Taft's claims, saying he's fine if the auditor general decides to investigate.