Poilievre calls for law to block long ballot protests that ‘abuse democracy’
By Canadian Press on July 22, 2025.
OTTAWA — Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says the long list of names lining up to flood the ballot in his upcoming federal byelection amounts to a “blatant abuse” of democracy — and he wants the government to do something about it when MPs return in the fall.
Elections Canada said that as of Monday, 132 candidates sponsored by the Longest Ballot Committee were registered to run against Poilievre in a byelection in the Alberta riding of Battle River—Crowfoot set for Aug. 18.
The advocacy group also targeted Poilievre’s former riding of Carleton in the spring election, and some 91 people put their names up as candidates. The ballot itself was quite bulky and required a number of folds to submit.
The Conservative leader, who is seeking a path back to the House of Commons, said in a letter to Liberal House leader Steve MacKinnon posted on social media Tuesday that the group is confusing voters and undermining democracy by flooding the ballot with unserious candidates.
“These aren’t real candidates. They aren’t campaigning. They aren’t engaging with constituents,” Poilievre wrote.
“This is a co-ordinated scheme to weaponize the ballot and disrupt our democratic process.”
The Conservatives want the Liberals to pass a law when Parliament returns in September that would require a candidate to obtain signatures from 0.5 per cent of the riding’s population, not just 100 people.
The party also wants each signature to be exclusive to one candidate, and for riding agents to be barred from representing more than one person at a time.
“These reforms will make the longest ballot scam impossible to carry out again and turn the ballot back to voters free from manipulation,” Poilievre wrote, adding that the Conservatives would work with the Liberals to get the legislation passed.
The Canadian Press has reached out to MacKinnon’s office to ask about the letter but has yet to receive a response.
The Longest Ballot Committee is also seeking a change to the electoral system.
It wants a citizens’ assembly put in charge of crafting a new electoral system, and argues that political parties are reluctant to make the government more representative of a diverse electorate.
The group has helped dozens of candidates register in multiple contests in Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba since 2022 to draw attention to its cause.
In Battle River—Crowfoot, the total number of party and Independent candidates reached 138 as of Monday afternoon. Candidates can continue signing up for another week ahead of the July 28 cutoff.
The RCMP said in a news release that several candidates in the riding have received negative and, in some cases, potentially threatening commentary on social media platforms.
— with files from Fakiha Baig
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2025.
Craig Lord, The Canadian Press
21-20
sure, cannot accept that after being provided with a better selection of names from which to choose, too few chose pierre.
of course, your issue with the electoral system has little to do with how entirely undemocratic it now is. moreover, you prove to be just another cynical opportunist, moving swiftly out of your ottawa area riding all the way to redneckville, where they for anything that calls itself a con.
It is not just Pierre who is complaining:
https://rdnewsnow.com/2025/07/20/podcast-who-the-heck-is-bonnie-critchley-shes-the-opponent-of-pierre-poilievre-in-federal-byelection-whos-now-up-against-100-others/
” . . .Those are the words craftily chosen for the cover of a media kit for Critchley, who is running against Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre in an upcoming federal byelection in Battle River-Crowfoot. . . .”
This will impact her chances for winning in this by-election and she has nothing to do with the Longest Ballot Committee! This party would have zero chance of making any difference in representing its constituents in the manner they deserve, because that is not their purpose for running!
Also:
https://nationalpost.com/news/politics/poilievre-byelection-challengers-long-ballot-protest-legalized-interference
Targeting one specific canadidate by trying to put 200 plus candidates in this riding, as they attempted in Poilievres Ontario riding . . . how is this being allowed? It is clearly going to impact the outcome of the election!
It is manipulation of an election by doing so! For decades some parties have attempted to run one of two independents to reduce the opponents chances of a win, but this has gone too far and it appears to have nothing to do with efforts to change the electoral system.
It clearly is meant to prevent the opposition leader from winning a seat!
If the same tactics were used in the Nenshi by-election recently, there would be cries of outrage, of abuse of process, and many other accusations sent across Canada by the Alberta NDP.
No one wanted to sign the petitions which went Canada wide to get Elections Canada to change the process to prevent this type of election manipulation from being used, so here we are and at one point it will impact some other party . . . and it may be you . . . and then you will say, that is not democratic!
This is not about party politics but about protecting our right to fairly elect officials without such interference!
If we do not protect the process, we will lose the right to fairly elect officials! It is already impeded by such actions!