On October 19, Albertans will vote in one of the most consequential referendums in this province's history, and Albertans need to have eyes on the count. 

My third-party advertiser, Alberta's Choice, is recruiting scrutineers to observe the referendum process and help ensure the rules are followed and the count is fair and transparent.

If you're willing to help, go to Alberta's-Choice.com and fill out the scrutineer form — but don't hesitate, the cutoff is August 24.

If you're selected, Alberta's Choice will provide you with the necessary appointment letter and send you an email with instructions explaining what you need to know.

You don't need to be a political operative or an elections expert. You need to be eligible, responsible, willing to follow the rules and prepared to pay attention.

WHY ALBERTA'S CHOCIE IS DOING THIS

Scrutineers are a normal and important part of the democratic process. They're there to observe election procedures and the counting of ballots. They don't interfere with election workers, touch the ballots or decide which side wins. They watch.

And in a referendum this important, Albertans need to be in the room watching. Especially because we have already seen enough questionable behaviour during this campaign to know that scrutiny matters.

Take Thomas Lukaszuk's Forever Canadian campaign.

Forever Canadian has been operating a massive federalist campaign across Alberta, with events, volunteers, signs, online promotion and political messaging.

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And yet we've watched an ongoing controversy over what activities fall under Alberta's referendum third-party advertising rules and therefore what campaign activities, donations and finances must be disclosed.

Independence third-party advertisers have to play by Elections Alberta's rules. We have to register, report and disclose. And we expect those rules to be enforced consistently on the federalist side too.

Nobody should get a special set of rules because Elections Alberta has decided to draw a convenient distinction between one kind of referendum campaigning and another.

That's why we aren't interested in simply being told to trust the process. We want to verify it, and the best way to do that on October 19 is to have properly appointed scrutineers present.

THIS ISN'T ABOUT CONSPIRACY THEORIES

I want to be very clear about something: we're not predicting some massive conspiracy at the ballot box. You don't need a conspiracy for scrutiny to be worthwhile.

People make mistakes, procedures can be misunderstood, rules can be applied inconsistently, and questions can arise over ballots.

That's precisely why scrutineers exist. If everything is done correctly, our scrutineers will have an incredibly boring day, and that's perfect. We want boring. We want them to go home afterward and tell us there was nothing interesting to report.

But if something does happen, we want someone there who saw it. Because if the referendum is close, Albertans on both sides are going to want confidence in the result, and "trust us" isn't good enough.

ORDINARY ALBERTANS NEEDED

You don't need years of political experience to volunteer. We're looking for careful, responsible Albertans willing to give up some of their time.

Farmers, oilfield workers, tradespeople, small-business owners, retirees, moms and dads. You need to be able to follow instructions, understand your responsibilities and remain calm and professional.

This isn't about creating confrontation — a good scrutineer isn't looking for trouble. A good scrutineer is watching closely enough to recognize it if it happens.

AUGUST 24 IS THE DEADLINE

Here's what I need you to do. Go to Alberta's-Choice.com. Fill out our form and identify yourself as a potential scrutineer.

If you're selected, we'll provide the appointment letter and email you the instructions you'll need. But we have to get this organized well before October 19.

That's why our cutoff is August 24. Please don't wait until the last minute.

And if you can't do it yourself, send this video to someone who can. We need people across Alberta. 

This referendum is going to produce plenty of heated political debate before voting day. That's fine. Federalists can make their case. We'll make ours.

But once the ballots are cast, there is only one thing that should matter: count them properly. Whatever choice Albertans make, everyone should be able to trust that result.

We're going to do our part to make sure that happens. We need you to do yours. Go to Alberta's-Choice.com and sign up as a potential scrutineer before August 24.

Then on October 19, we'll have Albertans where they need to be: in the room, watching the count.