Fact Check: Is there voter suppression happening in the Alberta referendum campaign?
No evidence supports claims of voter suppression in Alberta’s referendum.
On a podcast called The Line, host Jen Gerson mentioned voter suppression. She stated that because the provincial government and the UCP itself haven’t been actively pushing a get-out-the-vote campaign, they are tacitly supporting the independence vote.
She made a binary case about “who tries to increase the vote, and who tries to suppress the vote,” which implied anybody who doesn’t actively take a side in the referendum is suppressing the vote. In the podcast description, it says of the panel, “they argue that low turnout and voter suppression could produce a result that overstates support for separatism.”
Voter suppression is a very serious issue that can undercut the legitimacy of an election or referendum. There is no indication that any voter suppression is happening in Alberta, however.
Voter suppression refers to deliberate efforts to prevent or discourage eligible voters from casting ballots. Historical examples include literacy tests, poll taxes, and violence in the Jim Crow South in the United States. The core element is intent or effect that systematically reduces turnout among eligible citizens beyond neutral integrity measures. Requiring ID to vote is indeed a neutral integrity measure, by the way.
Voter participation has become easier than ever. There are now unconditional special ballots that can be requested so a person may vote from the comfort of home months in advance. There will be five advance voting days, during which people can vote at polling stations between 9 am and 8 pm, in addition to the main voting day on October 19th. And there will be mobile polls which allow voting from care centres, hospitals, emergency shelters and treatment centres. Not only is there no voter suppression happening in Alberta, but the electoral authorities are making it as easy as humanly possible to participate in the vote.
Hinting at the possibility of voter suppression without evidence is irresponsible and erodes trust in the system. People may not trust the outcome if they are convinced that the government had put a finger on the scale. Ironically, by floating the notion that voter suppression may be happening, it may reduce voter participation due to people thinking the process is rigged. This would be a form of voter suppression even if inadvertent.
Cory Morgan
Cory Morgan is an Alberta-based columnist, political commentator, and longtime advocate for Western Canadian independence. He is the author of the recently updated book The Sovereigntist’s Handbook, a grassroots guide for independence supporters and political activists.
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