Alberta UCP may bring legislation allowing political parties on municipal ballots

The Alberta UCP government is looking to introduce legislation allowing political parties on municipal ballots.

The change would allow candidates to list a party affiliation with their name on the voting card.

Currently, party affiliation is not allowed under the Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA), however, Premier Danielle Smith told municipal leaders in Edmonton last week that Albertans deserve more clarity about who and what they are voting for.

Alberta Municipalities president Tyler Gandam, the mayor of Wetaskiwin, said before the Friday meeting that the move would put the interests of their political parties ahead of their constituents.

He says local governments should be safe spaces for dialogue without the “divisiveness or vitriol we are seeing at the provincial and federal levels.”

Albertans don't want political parties in their municipal elections. Elected officials should stay focused on their community's challenges and not on political agendas.#ABmunis #ABpoli #Ableg @CptGandam pic.twitter.com/68D04KIAWG

— Alberta Municipalities | Strength in Members (@ABmunis) February 27, 2024

“Alberta Municipalities members are deeply troubled by the idea that local elected officials might put the interests of their parties ahead of those of the group that matters most,” he said.

“Our association’s message to the Government of Alberta and special interest groups that are eager to see partisan politics introduced at a local level is clear, unwavering, and unequivocal: Listen to regular Albertans who have repeatedly said they simply aren’t interested.”

The provincial government conducted two surveys into proposed changes to the LAEA and the Municipal Government Act in November and December 2023.

While the government has not shown the survey results, with the website saying it’s under review, the Edmonton Journal got the results through a Freedom of Information Request.

In the multiple-choice section, over 70 per cent of respondents opposed the idea, while the open answer section saw more than 80 per cent of respondents opposing the idea.

According to a 2023 summer poll by Janet Brown, 68 per cent of respondents say there is no place for official party affiliations, lining up with the survey results.

Smith says the idea of political parties at the municipal level is “still under consultation” and may just be a pilot project, or may just apply to cities.

The next round of municipal elections in Alberta is slated for 2025.

–With files from Adrienne South and The Canadian Press