Provincial and Territorial Elections

Specific details for each Canadian Province and Territory : Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia, Nunavut, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, Quebec, Yukon

Alberta

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The Register of Electors and the Voters List

When you register to vote, Elections Alberta collects and stores your personal information in the Register of Electors. Section 13(1) and (2) of the Alberta Election Act allows Elections Alberta to store only the following information, though some is currently optional: (Elections Alberta)

• Name
• Address
• Gender (optional)
• Citizenship
• Phone number (optional)
• Email address (with your express consent specifically to list your email address)
• Date of birth
• A permanent unique identifier (a randomly generated number associated with your name)

To revise, update, and maintain the Register of Electors, Elections Alberta may also collect your personal data from the following sources: [s. 13.1(2)]

• Telephone directories
• An agreement between Elections Alberta and a public body or individual
• Public bodies as defined in Alberta’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, which include [s. 1(p)]:
  • a department, branch, or office of the Government of Alberta
  • an agency, board, commission, corporation, office, or other body designated as a public body in the regulations
  • the Executive Council Office
  • the office of a member of the Executive Council
  • the Legislative Assembly Office
  • the office of the Auditor General, the Ombudsperson, the Chief Electoral Officer, the Ethics Commissioner, the Information and Privacy Commissioner, the Child and Youth Advocate, or the Public Interest Commissioner
  •  an educational body
  •  a health care body
  • a local government body
• any other information obtained by or available to Elections Alberta

Elections Alberta may also request address, mapping, demographic or geographic information, including geospatial information, from any of the above list of public bodies if they deem it necessary to maintain the Register [ss. 13.1 (2) and (3)].

From the Register of Electors, a voters list is created for each electoral division. It doesn’t take all the data from the Register; it may only include your unique identifier, name, address, phone number if you provided it [s. 17].

Access to and uses of the Register and Voters List

Access to the register is limited to Elections Alberta staff who have a need to use the register and have sworn an oath of confidentiality. You can access your personal information stored in the register, but it must be to ensure that it is correct, and you must show identification and sign a declaration [s. 13.3(1)(a)]. 

Access to the voters list is not publicly shared during elections, but it is shared with MLAs, registered political parties, and political candidates [s. 18].

Removal from the Register and Voters List

The issue of whether you can remove your information from the register is unclear.

To request removal of your information from the voters list, contact Elections Alberta at 1.877.422.8683 or info@elections.ab.ca.

Sources

• Election Act, RSA 2000, c E-1.
• Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, RSA 2000, c F-25.
• Guidelines on Access to and Disclosure of Alberta’s List of Electors
• Register to vote | Check Voter Registration | Elections Alberta

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These pages were last updated and reviewed in the summer of 2024. 

The information on these pages only contains general information and guidance; none of the information constitutes legal advice. If you have a specific issue that you believe is a legal problem, the best practice is to consult a lawyer. 

The information is non-partisan, dynamic and ever changing. It is the result of FIPA’s research and public education programs.

If you note something that needs to be added, corrected, or removed, please contact us by email: fipa AT fipa.bc.ca.