Question 5
Citizenship Proof to Vote
"Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring individuals to provide proof of citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate, or citizenship card, to vote in an Alberta provincial election?"
Why You Should Vote No
Non-citizens already cannot vote in Alberta provincial elections. This law would do nothing to stop a problem that essentially doesn't exist, while creating real barriers for tens of thousands of eligible Albertan voters who don't carry passports or birth certificates.
Key Numbers
The Problem This Solves Doesn't Really Exist
Elections Alberta has recorded only seven cases of voting irregularities since 2013. Of those, five involved ineligible votes (three cases of double voting and two ineligible voters), and none were linked to non-citizens using the vouching system. There is no documented pattern of non-citizens voting in Alberta elections.
Non-citizens are already prohibited from voting in provincial elections under the Election Act. This question proposes a new ID burden to address a problem that existing law already prohibits and that Elections Alberta has found almost no evidence of occurring. A solution without a problem.
Sources
The Conversation. (n.d.). Alberta's voter ID law is a solution for a problem that doesn't exist.
Elections Canada. (n.d.). Facts about voter registration, citizenship and voter ID.
Up to 50,000 Eligible Albertans Could Lose Their Vote
Not every eligible voter has a passport, a birth certificate, or a citizenship card at hand. These documents cost money to replace, take time to obtain, and are not universally held. According to analysis of similar proposals, a strict citizenship document requirement could disqualify up to 50,000 eligible voters from participating in elections.
Voter ID laws disproportionately affect Indigenous peoples (who may have status cards but not citizenship documents), elderly Albertans (born before standardized record-keeping), low-income residents, homeless people, and domestic violence survivors who have lost or left their documents behind. These are fully eligible Canadian citizens who would lose their democratic voice.
Sources
The Conversation. (n.d.). Alberta's voter ID law is a solution for a problem that doesn't exist.
The Tyee. (2024, August 22). The undemocratic voter ID law coming to an election near you.
The Proposed Documents Don't Even Prove Residency
A passport or birth certificate proves citizenship, but not Alberta residency. Someone could present an Alberta-issued birth certificate while having lived in Ontario for 20 years. Conversely, a driver's licence proves Alberta residency but not citizenship. There is no single document that confirms both citizenship and Alberta residency.
This means the proposed law is either unworkable (requiring multiple documents) or ineffective (a passport does not prevent someone from voting in the wrong province). Practical implementation would require an entirely new verification infrastructure, at considerable public cost, to address a problem that the evidence suggests barely exists.
Sources
Lethbridge Herald. (2025, September 23). Fact file: Will citizenship markers on Alberta ID stop non-citizens from voting?.
Most Albertans Want to Keep the Vouching System
Alberta's existing vouching system allows eligible voters without current ID to be vouched for by another registered voter. This system ensures that citizens who lack proper documentation at election time, whether due to a recent move, a lost wallet, or other circumstances, can still exercise their democratic right.
According to the Alberta government's own survey in fall 2023, nearly half of Albertans (46%) want to keep vouching as part of the election integrity system, while only 30% wanted to eliminate it. Eliminating vouching in favour of a citizenship document requirement goes against the expressed preference of most Albertans.
Sources
The Conversation. (n.d.). Alberta's voter ID law is a solution for a problem that doesn't exist.
Policy Options. (2024, August). A voter ID law: Coming to an election near you?. IRPP.
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