August 7, 2026· CTV News Edmonton
'Like recruiting for a federal election': Elections Alberta less than halfway to hiring goal 3 months before referendum
Elections Alberta has only 25,000 of the 60,000 workers it wants for the October 19 referendum — a recruiting push its operations director compares to staffing a federal election.
With less than three months until Alberta's October 19 referendum, Elections Alberta has received just 25,000 applications toward its goal of 60,000 workers — far more than the roughly 13,000 needed for a typical provincial election. Chief electoral officer Gordon McClure has called the vote, which includes 10 ballot questions on immigration, the constitution, and separation, a "colossal undertaking."
Elections operations director Jennifer Maskoske says the extra staff will be needed to manage advance voting, election day, the count, and special ballot processes across the province's 87 electoral divisions — work she compared to "recruiting for a federal election." Roles like voting officer and counter pay around $250 per day, and returning offices will begin calling applicants in the coming weeks.