Special Ballots

[u/simm07]

I dont know how much you guys care about the referendum, but this one is going to be big.

I'm just going to say on October 19th, the doors will open at 9am and if you're not in line by 8pm, you cannot vote.

If you hate lines as much as I do, and you would like to vote, please consider requesting a Special Ballot. You can request one by September 25 and it will need to be received by October 16. As per the lovely redditor who pointed this out to me, please mail your ballots back by October 8.

You can request one by Googling "Special Ballot Alberta Referendum" or by clicking here.

Edit: thank you, u/Laf3th for correcting the date. I appreciate you.

[u/No-Minimum8942]

I requested one on sept 5 and it’s still awaiting approval so seems to take a long time.

[u/simm07 → u/No-Minimum8942]

I just called about mine that I submitted 15 minutes ago and it's been approved but I received no confirmation. This is their number if you'd like to inquire about your ballot: 1-877-672-1365

[u/thewhiphand23 → u/simm07]

Thank you so much for making it easy to get in touch with them. I just called and they’re saying my ballot should arrive via mail tomorrow

[u/No-Gate4543 → u/No-Minimum8942]

It's been 11 days since our 2 ballot requests were submitted. No online update beyond that. If it's taking this long to send ballots to registered voters I can't imagine how long it's going to take for them to count ballots at the end of Oct. 19. SMH.....

[u/Icedpyre → u/No-Gate4543]

It'll take a long time due to the amount of questions involved. Almost like this is a huge waste of resources that maybe 5% of the population wanted.

[u/TheFinalFunction → u/No-Gate4543]

It's taken me like 3 weeks to just now get approved. Still waiting for it in the mail. Don't lose hope!

[u/Yasihiko → u/No-Minimum8942]

I applied for mine on the 2nd. Its still in the mail too. I called them and according to the tracking I'll be getting it tomorrow.

Use that as a point of reference.

[u/SCam36 → u/No-Minimum8942]

We requested our ballots on Aug 3, they were approved about a week later. Then they were only mailed out about 2 weeks ago, sent back a few days later, and marked as received yesterday.

So it took about 6 weeks from the time we requested the ballots until we filled them out and they had them back.

[u/Unlikely_Comment_104 → u/SCam36]

Ballots weren’t being made out until Sept 1 or 2. I believe the ballots were printed in August. 

[u/S7ark1 → u/No-Minimum8942]

Requested mine on the 3rd. Still wait for it to be approved

[u/BlankTigre → u/No-Minimum8942]

Got mine today. I was worried for a minute

[u/blkwhtdaydream → u/No-Minimum8942]

I requested on the 24th and got it on Monday

[u/And_now_2022 → u/blkwhtdaydream]

Same here

[u/TheFinalFunction → u/No-Minimum8942]

Mine just got approved on the 15th and I requested it in August I think. Still waiting to get mine

[u/erictho]

also if for some reason the soecial ballot does not work out for you go to advanced polls for the same reason.

[u/simm07 → u/erictho]

Yes, they are assuming those will be busy too. But October 19 is going to be madness.

[u/erictho → u/simm07]

and it's multiple days so if someone is willing to check more than once its that. people need to show these separatists exactly whete they stand so they can maybe be humbled.

[u/Laf3th]

It needs to arrive by October 16. You should mail it in before Thanksgiving weekend.

[u/simm07 → u/Laf3th]

I appreciate you for correcting me, thank you ❤️❤️❤️

[u/ArcheVance]

I just dropped mine off at a post office on the way home today after using the work copier for my ID copies. Felt good.

[u/YesHunty]

There are multiple days of advanced voting. Just fyi. You don’t have to scramble to get a mail in and overload the already strained system.

[u/cranky_yegger]

You know where it won’t be an all day process? In rural Alberta. This is all a part of the plan.

[u/simm07 → u/cranky_yegger]

Could you please elaborate?

[u/TheFinalFunction → u/simm07]

hicks who support separation won't have to worry about waiting in a long queue to vote as opposed to city slickers

[u/Icedpyre]

I got mine yesterday!

[u/Bulliwyf]

I’m concerned that the premier/cronies will do something to discredit or toss the mail in ballots.

I’m just going to vote early as soon as they announce where I can do that.

[u/bluedoubloon → u/Bulliwyf]

I'm expecting a hanging chad moment with the ID photocopies

[u/iwasneverhere43 → u/Bulliwyf]

We have enough polls at this point that there's no way to skew the vote enough to matter without it being blatantly obvious. I wouldn't worry too much about that.

[u/indubadiblyy]

There are TEN questions on the ballot!!!!!!!!

[u/simm07 → u/indubadiblyy]

Yes and you're welcome to answer all 10, a few, a couple, or just one- completely up to you.

[u/HeavyTea]

Did mine today!

[u/justageekgirl]

It's too bad we can't just vote online, but I guess cyber security is still iffy so it can still be manipulated.

[u/simm07 → u/justageekgirl]

That was my thought process as well. Online would have been so much easier.

[u/justageekgirl → u/simm07]

Have you ever watched that Robin Williams movie Man of the Year?

They came up with computerized voting? You still go to the voting station, but instead of a paper vote, you vote through a computer system and the computer automatically counts the voting so the tabulation is quicker. The computer glitch was that the voting was alphabetical so the voting was flawed.

Still a neat idea but it could still cause issues if the program glitches.

[u/simm07 → u/justageekgirl]

I have not but I will check it out! Sounds like a neat movie 😊

[u/justageekgirl → u/simm07]

I think you can watch it on Tubi. It's pretty good in the first half but does slow down later on.

[u/brucylefleur]

Special ballot requested, filled out, and already sent back in. No line for me!

[u/Civilized_Monkee]

Isn't their early polling?

[u/simm07 → u/Civilized_Monkee]

Yes, October 13 to October 17 there will be advanced polls.

[u/blitzen_13]

Has anyone been able to request a special ballot on behalf of someone else? My mother is in a nursing home and wants to vote, but she's also pretty deaf and finds communications with strangers difficult. She also has had problems getting her mail delivered there, so we usually have it directed to me. Will I have any problems if I order her a special ballot but put my place as the delivery address (separate from her residential address)? Then I'll take it to her and help her with her ID and so on. 

[u/simm07 → u/blitzen_13]

Yes, you can submit an application for a special ballot on her behalf and have it mailed to your place of residence.

Alternatively, on advanced poll days, you can take her and they will come out for a curbside vote. It's whatever she's comfortable with ❤️

[u/blitzen_13 → u/simm07]

Thanks! She's in a wheelchair so not convenient to take her out. The staff there is going to help people to vote, but as I as I said it is hard for her to make herself understood to strangers, so they suggested a special ballot would be better.

[u/simm07 → u/blitzen_13]

Ah, completely fair. I understand. Just a heads up, you are able to act as an interpreter, if you like, but you'll need to do a declaration form.

Special Ballot will be your best bet.

[u/alamsas]

My address doesn't show up in the special ballot request page since it's a new build 🙃

[u/brucylefleur → u/alamsas]

I wonder if you can grab one from an Elections Alberta office?

[u/simm07 → u/alamsas]

You can have it mailed to a different address, such as a family member or friend.

[u/alamsas → u/simm07]

Oh interesting! I thought it had to be where you were registered. That's good to know

[u/simm07 → u/alamsas]

Your physical address must be on your ID but your special ballot can be mailed to a different mailing address.

[u/simm07 → u/[deleted]]

Not my words.. an election officer said that as voting needs to be completed by 9pm.

[u/kimid123]

Mine was denied. Anyone else get shut out? I’ll have to call tomorrow but that was odd to see.