Elections Alberta clarifies what counts as referendum advertising ahead of separation vote

Elections Alberta has issued new clarity on what qualifies as referendum advertising under the province's electoral financing rules, offering cities and campaigns flexibility ahead of the fall separation referendum.

The province's Chief Electoral Officer issued a Referendum Advertising Interpretation Bulletin on July 8 to help guide what is and isn't considered advertising under the Election Finances and Contributions Disclosures Act, particularly for the 10 referendum questions Albertans will vote on this fall. Chief Electoral Officer Gordon McClure said the bulletin was issued "in response to much confusion and misinformation" and to help "political participants and electors understand and comply with the legislation."

The issue had surfaced at Calgary city council in late June, when Mayor Jeromy Farkas asked how far the city could go in deploying resources to advocate for Alberta to remain in Canada. The city's law department flagged uncertainty: analysis of economic conditions might implicitly promote or oppose an outcome, and it was unclear if such analysis would contravene electoral rules.

Referendum advertising refers to any message transmitted to the public that promotes or opposes a specific referendum question. According to Elections Alberta, such advertising must attempt to persuade an elector to vote in a particular way on that question. "The display of a flag alone does not promote or oppose a question in a referendum," McClure said. Similarly, statements like "Celebrate Alberta," "send a message to Ottawa," or "Celebrate Canada" do not by themselves support or oppose a referendum question. Farkas said this week that he will "do everything that I can within my powers legally" to campaign against separation and hopes the province will lift restrictions on municipalities engaging on the issue.