Longest ballot group takes aim at byelection where Poilievre plans to run
By Canadian Press on May 5, 2025.
OTTAWA — The group that added dozens of candidates to the ballot in Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s riding in the recent federal election is planning to do the same in the upcoming byelection.
Poilievre is expected to seek a seat in the House of Commons for the Alberta riding of Battle River—Crowfoot, after losing his long-held seat of Carleton to the Liberals on April 28.
Damien Kurek, who was re-elected in Battle River—Crowfoot for the third time last week, has pledged to step aside so Poilievre can run there in his place.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said last week he will call the byelection quickly to allow the Conservative leader the chance to return to the House of Commons.
The Longest Ballot Committee was responsible for adding 85 of the 91 names on the Carleton ballot, though none of them got more than 57 votes.
The group says it’s trying to get attention to push for electoral reform and has run dozens of candidates on the ballot in multiple byelections in Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba since 2022.
“It would benefit voters if politicians recused themselves and passed decisions about election rules to a permanent, independent and non-partisan body such as a citizens’ assembly,” the group said in an email.
The email said that if at least 200 people sign up before May 12, the committee will try to “make a long ballot happen.”
Elections Canada had to begin counting the advance poll votes in Carleton six hours before the polls closed on April 28, and the full count was not complete until the day after the election.
The ballots, which had to be specially printed, measured almost a full metre long and were challenging for voters to fold and stuff into ballot boxes.
Poilievre lost to Liberal Bruce Fanjoy by 4,315 votes.
The loss means he will likely miss the entire spring sitting of the House of Commons, which is set to begin on May 26.
A byelection can be called as soon as 11 days after Kurek resigns — which can only happen after he is officially sworn in as an MP — and the byelection campaign will run between 36 and 50 days.
Kurek, who was first elected in 2019, won in Battle River—Crowfoot with more than 82 per cent of the votes in the most recent election.
Poilievre visited the riding recently, posting on social media on Monday that he had visited Kurek’s farm.
“People in these communities feed and power our country,” he said.
“It will be an honour to work for their support to return to Parliament, hold the government to account and champion common sense values for Canada.”
Poilievre has not spoken to media since the election. The Conservative caucus is set to meet in Ottawa on Tuesday morning.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 5, 2025.
Sarah Ritchie, The Canadian Press
23-22
So is China behind this group . . . Liberal staffers? How in a democratic society, supposed free and can it be lawful to target one politician, using methods to specifially target him? Big money has been spent to prevent him from winning in his riding by running 85 candidates . . . it isn’t cheap running all those candidates! Is it legal?
By targeting the by-election, it is quite clear this group only wants to keep Pierre Poilivre out of office!
I have already filed my complaint to Elections Canada.
If the true reason was to push for electoral reform, they would not target the same Member of Parliament who also is a party leader! Their actions have just proven they are targeting him! It is time for an investigation!!
To protect our democratic electoral process I am encouraging all to file complaints to Elections Canada and your Members of Parliament if you want to have fair elections.
If you think using such methods are just fine, fair and acceptable and believe no change is needed, although I am concerned, that is your choice . . . but we are watching a degradation of what is our right to elect a candidate of our choosing in our ridings, not manipulated by a group who is outside our riding!
If you choose to stand up for our democratic process, file a complaint!
Link below:
https://www.cef-cce.ca/complaint-form
Protect out electoral process!