Calgary Party mayoral candidate Brian Thiessen said it’s news to most people at the doors that they’re supposed to register to vote in the October municipal election.

Following new rules laid out in 2024 by the Alberta government, Thiessen claims that voters are required to register in advance to vote come October.

What changed in the Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, is that municipalities are now required to create a permanent electors register. It does not state specifically, however, that voters must register in advance.

In the past, the electors register was optional for municipalities.

A media release sent out by the Calgary Party on Wednesday evening said Thiessen was calling out the province and Elections Calgary for what he called “a complete communications failure” in raising public awareness.

“I think we should be striving, both as Elections Calgary and as the province, to be increasing participation in democracy. So, that’s my number one concern is… we’re already below 50 per cent participation in municipal elections,” Thiessen later told LWC via phone.

“Are they going to drive down that participation even lower? I don’t think that’s good for democracy.”

In 2021, the voter turnout in Calgary’s municipal election was 46.38 per cent, according to Elections Calgary.

Elections Calgary has posted information on the voter registry, including dates and links to where people can check their voting status.

In June, public messaging around the voters’ registry was relayed via the City of Calgary newsroom, informing citizens of the upcoming changes.

In an emailed statement obtained Wednesday evening, Elections Calgary said that even if citizens aren’t on the permanent electors register, they will still be able to vote on Oct. 20.

“When eligible voters arrive at the voting station in October, they can present acceptable identification and complete a form that will add their name and information to the electors register before they cast their ballot,” the email read.

The Government of Alberta also said that there’s no requirement to register in advance. They said the requirement for an electors registry is meant to streamline the process on voting day.

“Eligible voters who do not register to vote in their municipality before the deadline can still vote on election day,” read an email from Kevin Lee, press secretary for the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Dan Williams.

“Municipalities have known about this requirement since Fall of 2024 and have had ample time to communicate it to their residents.”

Lee said that registering in advance avoids the need to fill out another form on election day.

Potential delays and frustration on election day, Thiessen said

Citizens have until Aug. 26 to check the VoterLink registry to see if they’re on it, or to change any potential information included. After that, Calgarians can call Elections Calgary at 403-476-4100 to check if they’re on the voters’ registry.

Thiessen said that it hasn’t been communicated very well what information Calgarians will need if they do show up at a polling station on election day and aren’t on the permanent electors registry.

“You may recall, in the last election, there was all kinds of confusion about whether people were at the right polling stations and a fair amount of confusion around the vote,” he said.

“If the majority of people are now showing up, have to go through the whole registration process in person, it’s going to be delayed. It’s going to be more confusion.”

Thiessen isn’t suggesting the lack of information on voting in the upcoming election is deliberate.

“I think it’s more negligent,” he said.

“I expect that they just washed their hands of it, didn’t think to take any responsibility.”

In the interim, he said that the Calgary Party will be ensuring that citizens who they meet at the doors have the right information on how to register to vote.

“But obviously, you don’t want it left in the hands of one group to be communicating in an election. That’s not a good result for democracy either,” he said.

“There’s a reason why we have Elections Calgary. It should be Elections Calgary and the province who are pushing that out objectively.”

Calgarians will vote in the upcoming municipal election on October 20, 2025.