Markets 
Alberta’s elections branch has kicked off what it calls the biggest hiring spree of election workers in the province’s history.
The agency is looking to hire 60,000 workers for the Oct. 19 referendum in which Premier Danielle Smith’s government will put 10 questions to Albertans, including asking voters if they want the province to remain in Canada or begin the legal process to hold a binding separation referendum.
The huge number of workers needed is more than four times the 13,000 who worked during Alberta’s last general election at a total cost of $37 million.
Chief electoral officer Gordon McClure called it a “colossal undertaking.”
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Elections Alberta will be printing 45 million ballots, far exceeding the 1.8 million ballots that were cast in the 2023 provincial election.
McClure said the recruitment drive is “a great opportunity for students, teams, community groups, and Albertans from all walks of life to get involved in the democratic process” and also issued a plea for applications from rural Albertans.
Alberta residents who are 16 years of age or older and eligible to work in Canada are able to apply. However, some positions will require applicants to be 18 or older.
Successful applicants will need to pass a criminal history check and will be unable to participate in any political activity during their employment.
Elections Alberta has a 48-hour deadline to complete an unofficial count of the referendum ballots.
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