Alberta NDP files court challenge over province’s new restricted voter list rules

Edmonton - The Alberta NDP has filed a court challenge against the province's new rules restricting the sharing of voter information between elections officials and political parties. The opposition party argues that the new policy undermines the purpose of a voter list and should be struck down. Published last week, the government's rules limit Elections Alberta to providing political parties with only the number of voters in each area and municipality, instead of the names, addresses, phone numbers, and unique identification numbers previously shared.

NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi expressed concerns that the new rules could potentially lead to voter fraud during the upcoming October 19 referendum, as scrutineers overseeing ballot counting would lack crucial information to prevent multiple voting. Justice Minister Mickey Amery's office claimed that the policy was temporary and aimed at enhancing privacy security following a recent privacy breach involving a separatist group.

As of now, the province's official voter list is managed by Elections Alberta, with copies distributed to political parties, legislators, candidates, and constituency associations for campaign and fundraising purposes. Despite the new restrictions, Elections Alberta affirmed that it would continue using the detailed voter list to manage and track voters in the referendum. This report by The Canadian Press was initially published on September 25, 2026.