Elections Alberta Launches Largest Recruitment Drive in Alberta’s History

June 08, 2026

EDMONTON – Today, Elections Alberta is launching the largest electoral event worker recruitment campaign in Alberta’s history and one of the largest referendum recruitment efforts ever undertaken in Canada ahead of the province’s upcoming referendum on October 19, 2026.

With ten ballot questions, Elections Alberta will print 45 million ballots, far exceeding the 1.8 million ballots cast in Alberta’s 2023 provincial general election  and the 19.8 million ballots cast in Canada’s 2025 federal general election.

To achieve the 48-hour deadline to complete the unofficial ballot count, a minimum of 60,000 workers will be required.

“This referendum will be a colossal undertaking and requires Albertans to work together to deliver the upcoming referendum. Working with us in the coming months provides a great opportunity for students, teams, community groups, and Albertans from all walks of life to get involved in the democratic process,” said Gordon McClure, Chief Electoral Officer.

“I especially encourage rural Albertans to apply. Delivering a referendum of this scale will require dedicated election workers in every corner of our province,” McClure added.

Seeking to recruit more than 60,000 workers for upcoming referendum

All Alberta residents 16 years or older and eligible to work in Canada are welcome to apply. Some positions will require applicants to be 18 years or older, all election workers will need to pass a criminal history check, and election workers will be unable to participate in any political activity during their employment. Elections Alberta is a non-partisan, independent Office of the Legislature, and all election officers must sign an oath requiring them to uphold the non-partisan mandate of the Office during the Referendum.

For day-to-day operations, Elections Alberta is staffed by 48 permanent staff. This expands significantly during election periods.

During the 2023 Alberta provincial general election, Elections Alberta hired 13,095 election workers, with the total cost for the election coming to approximately $37 million.

Recruiting more than 60,000 workers for the upcoming referendum is no small task. For context, the 1995 Quebec referendum required the recruitment of 57,000 electoral workers to assist the 4.8 million voters and manage polling stations.

How to apply

Interested Albertans can apply online at https://recruitment.elections.ab.ca/8400/8.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early and should apply separately for each role they are interested in. Successful applicants will begin to be notified starting in mid-July.

Applications will be directed to the Returning Officer for the applicant’s electoral division based on their residential address. Applicants may also be asked to work in electoral divisions adjacent to where they live.

Applicants are asked to be patient due to the large volume of roles being recruited for and applications received. Only selected candidates will be contacted. Please do not contact Elections Alberta to inquire about the status of your application.

About the positions

Positions will include Election Officers who staff the voting places and Counting Officers who are responsible for vote-counting once voting places close.

A variety of roles are available including:

• Site supervisors,
• Information officers,
• Voting officers,
• Ballot box clerks,
• Registration officers,
• Record clerks,
• Count supervisors,
• Count coordinators, and
• Count officers.

All positions are paid, and the time commitment varies depending on the role. Some positions will begin October 13, with paid training scheduled in early October prior to the position start date. The training will involve a mix of online and in-person, depending on the role.

Applications from rural Albertans are especially encouraged to help support referendum administration and vote counting across the province.

Positions are available for the following periods:

• Advance Voting – October 13 – 17, 2026,
• Election Day – October 19, 2026, and
• Counting Ballots – October 19 – 21, 2026.

Visit our website to learn more about Referendum 2026, the hiring process, read descriptions of the positions, and apply at our Recruitment webpage.

Please see the Important Referendum Information Update for more information on ballots, voting, and voting requirements.

Requirements on timelines to release the unofficial count are set out in the Referendum (General) Regulation. Read more about the amendments which came into effect April 23, 2026. Read the news release on all the changes to the Regulation made in Bill 23.

Follow Elections Alberta on social media for more Referendum 2026 updates.

Elections Alberta is an independent, non-partisan office of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta responsible for administering provincial elections, by-elections, and referendums.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Michelle Gurney
Media Relations
Phone: 403.431.0759
Email: [email protected]

Posted in: Uncategorized