This occurs because of the Longest Ballot Committee, a political movement in Canada that originated after the 2015 federal election. The group floods elections with candidates to protest the first-past-the-post system.
One of the candidates authorized by the group is from Ontario.
Dillon Anderson put his name forward to highlight the issue that people can run in parts of the country they don’t live in.
“We have to change because somebody from Ontario shouldn’t be able to run in an Alberta riding,” he told BayToday.ca.
But those running with the intent to represent Battle River-Crowfoot want changes to ensure only serious names appear on election ballots.
“We need to get rid of this long ballot,” Poilievre told supporters in Stettler, The Stettler Independent reported. “There’s no justification for it.”
Candidates should require at least 1,000 signatures before appearing on a ballot, he added.
And Michael Harris, the local candidate for the Libertarian Party of Canada, says the long ballot movement does more harm than good.
“If those behind this stunt were truly serious about electoral reform or challenging the political establishment, they’d put their energy behind one principled candidate and run a serious campaign,” he said on X. “Spamming the ballot doesn’t build a movement it weakens the credibility of everyone trying to create real change.”