The next Provincial Election isn’t expected to be called until next spring but Elections Alberta is already getting ready for it. 

Throughout the next few weeks, enumerators with Elections Alberta will be going door to door in Airdrie to register voters for the 2019 Election.

A sign showing that enumerators are visiting doors is set up in Windsong

Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Drew Westwater explains why they are registering voters now.

“We have to do it in the fall of this year so we can prepare the voters lists and get everything prepared to hand out to the candidates and for the Election workers. We need to collect the data, put it into our database and have it ready for the Election.”

The enumerators will be hitting different homes in Airdrie from now until the end of September, coming by at different times during the day and on weekends to accommodate those with shift work.

Westwater says their workers will be easy to recognize.

“All our enumerators will be wearing bright orange vests which we’ve given to them and wearing identification on lanyards we’ve provided to them to point them as enumerators so that when they answer the door, they see someone at the door, if they’re worried about security and safety, that they know they’re legitimate and they are authorized by us to collect information.”

Aside from collecting data from current voters, Elections Alberta is doing something else this time around.

“This year for the very first time we’re also collecting information on future voters which are those persons living at that address who are Canadian citizens who are 16 and 17 years old. We can put them on our future voters' list so when they turn 18 we can send them a congratulation birthday message and advise them that after they’re 18 they’ll automatically be put on the voters' list for future elections.”

Westwater says that you can also register online if you don’t wish to have an enumerator visit you at your door.

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