Elections Alberta boss advocates electoral system overhaul

Alberta's chief electoral officer is calling for changes to make it easier for people to vote, after the March provincialelection saw the worst turnout in Alberta history.

Lorne Gibson released a 595-page report on Tuesday that outlines more than 180 recommendations for amendments to the Election Act and the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act after he reviewed this spring's election.

Gibson advocates allowing people to vote anywhere in the province rather than limiting them to their home electoral division and setting up polls in busy areas including malls, airports, work camps and college campuses.

"With the increased mobility of the population within the province for business, education and leisure, it is time to adapt the traditional voting system to the needs of the voter," he wrote in the report.

Gibson also recommends:

• Giving inmates the right to vote.
• Allowing post-secondary students to vote in the riding where they go to school.
• Extending voting hours by one hour to open at 8 a.m.
• Increasing the number of advance voting days by three.

He reiteratesrecommendations he made two years ago that were not enacted by the province: set fixed dates for elections and give the chief electoral officer the power to appoint impartial returning officers.

Returning officers had ties to PC party

"Make it a fair, open competition, conducted by a non-partisan office, such as the office of the chief electoral officer, where they hire them based on their qualifications, skills and ability to do the job," said Drew Westwater, spokesman for Elections Alberta.

As CBC News first reported, more than half of the returning officers in the 2008 provincial election appointed by the government had connections to the ruling Conservative party.

Elections Alberta had to deal with the fact that more than 250,000 Alberta voters showed up at polls to find they weren't on the electors list. The agency's website also crashed on voting day.

Voter turnout for the March 3 election ended up at 40.6 per cent the lowest in Alberta history.

Liberal Leader Kevin Taft said Albertans experienced the worst-run election in the province's recent history.

"In some ways, this feels like Lorne Gibson washing his hands of responsibility. Ultimately, it's his job to make sure the election is well run and it was not a well-run election," he said Tuesday.

Taft said it's crucial for Alberta's democracy that Ed Stelmach's Conservative government changes theelectoral laws.

Westwater noted Elections Alberta only has the power to make recommendations.

"Beyond that, the legislature is responsible for enacting the law and making the law of this province. We can't control that, nor can we influence the implementation of it in terms of timing.

"However, we can make our recommendations and explain why we would like the law changed and explain what the benefits are to the citizens of Alberta on a regular basis," said the agency spokesman.