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EDMONTON — Alberta’s chief electoral officer has issued new guidance on referendum advertising as the province prepares for a referendum on possible separation from Canada, even as public support for leaving the country continues to decline.
Elections Alberta released an interpretation bulletin Wednesday aimed at clarifying which messages are considered referendum advertising and when individuals or organizations must register as third-party advertisers.
The guidance comes ahead of a referendum scheduled for October concerning possible separation from Canada.
An Ipsos poll released in June found 18 per cent of Albertans would vote for separation in a binding referendum, down 10 percentage points from 28 per cent in January.
The poll suggests a continued decline in Albertan’s support leaving Canada as the referendum approaches
Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure said the bulletin was issued following confusion and misinformation over what qualifies as referendum advertising under provincial law.
“In response to much confusion and misinformation about what qualifies as referendum advertising under the EFCDA, as well as many questions and complaints to my Office, this Interpretation Bulletin helps political participants and electors understand and comply with the legislation,” McClure said.
Under Alberta’s Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act, referendum advertising must relate to a specific referendum question and attempt to persuade voters to choose one option over another.
Elections Alberta says not every advertisement or public message concerning issues connected to separation will qualify.
Displaying a Canadian or Alberta flag would not be considered referendum advertising because the display alone does not encourage voters to support or oppose a specific referendum option.
Messages such as “Celebrate Alberta,” “send a message to Ottawa” or “Celebrate Canada” would also generally fall outside the definition when used alone.
Advertising promoting, opposing or encouraging voters to select one of the options presented in the separation question would generally be considered referendum advertising and could require registration as a third-party advertiser.
The interpretation bulletin also provides guidance on events and other communications that could fall under referendum advertising rules, along with exemptions under provincial law.
McClure said Elections Alberta is committed to administering electoral legislation fairly and holding political participants equally accountable.
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