CCLA Sounds the Alarm Over the Politicization of Alberta’s Electoral Map

OTTAWA — The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) is troubled by the tabling of Alberta’s Government Motion No. 37, dated April 16, 2026.

If adopted, this motion would reject the electoral map proposed by the Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission’s final report and initiate a new electoral map revision process, with two additional ridings. The new Select Special Committee on Electoral Boundaries would oversee this expedited process by engaging advisors who would be under no requirement to hold public hearings before proposing new electoral boundaries. The majority of advisors would be selected by representatives of the ruling party.

“The right to vote enshrined in Section 3 of the Charter protects Canadians’ right to effective representation, which requires relative parity of voting power,” said Anaïs Bussières McNicoll, CCLA’s Fundamental Freedoms Director. “While the involvement of a legislature in the electoral map revision process is not necessarily a violation of the right to vote, great vigilance is required when the author of the electoral boundaries is a group of persons who is not insulated from partisan influence.”

“As a matter of best practice, a fair and equitable process for electoral boundary delimitation should be carried out by a non-partisan and impartial body benefitting from guarantees of independence,” Bussières McNicoll continued.

“The process should include public consultations, be transparent from beginning to end, and elected officials should respect its outcome.”

“The government’s proposed approach misses the mark on several points, which casts a doubt over the equity and fairness of Alberta’s electoral process.”

“The Alberta government’s unusual involvement with the electoral map revision process erodes public confidence in the electoral system,” Bussières McNicoll concluded.

“We urge the Alberta government to adopt an approach that considers the inherent conflict of interest faced by elected officials in matters of electoral boundary delimitation, and that respects citizens’ constitutional right to effective representation.”