Voters in the rural Alberta riding of Battle River-Crowfoot are about to make Canadian electoral history on Monday, August 18, 2025. With a record-shattering 214 candidates vying for the seat, the byelection has become one of the most watched—and perhaps most unusual—political contests in recent Canadian memory. At the heart of the race is Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, whose political future may hinge on the outcome.
For decades, Battle River-Crowfoot has been a Tory bastion. As Julie Simmons, a political science professor at the University of Guelph, told The Canadian Press, “In every election from 2004 to 2025, the vote share garnered by the Conservatives’ winning candidate has been at least 80 percent.” The only exception was in 2021, when Conservative incumbent Damien Kurek saw his share dip to 71 percent, largely due to a surge from the right-wing People’s Party of Canada. But even then, the Conservative grip remained firm.
This year, though, the race has an added layer of drama. The byelection was triggered when Kurek, who secured a commanding 83 percent of the vote in April’s general election, stepped aside in June to allow Poilievre to run. Poilievre, who had lost his long-held Ottawa-area seat to Liberal Bruce Fanjoy, is now seeking a new political home—and a decisive win to cement his position as Opposition leader ahead of a critical leadership review in January 2026.
Lori Williams, a political science professor at Mount Royal University in Calgary, emphasized the stakes: “He absolutely needs to sail over this hurdle. But if he clears this one, he’s then got to clear the, ‘How am I going to be an effective Opposition leader in this climate? How can I be pro-Canadian and critical of the government?’” According to Williams, anything less than a landslide could raise questions about Poilievre’s standing both within his party and with the broader electorate.
But the path to victory, while still heavily tilted in Poilievre’s favor, is not without potential bumps. The sheer number of candidates—most of whom are part of the Longest Ballot Committee, a protest group advocating for election system reforms—has forced Elections Canada to break new ground. For the first time in Canadian history, voters will not mark an X beside their preferred candidate’s name. Instead, they must handwrite the name in a blank space on the ballot. If a voter misspells a candidate’s name, Elections Canada has assured that the vote will still count, as long as the intention is clear.
Advance polling numbers suggest a high level of engagement, with more than 14,000 of the nearly 86,000 registered voters casting their ballots early. Yet, with 214 names to choose from, the process of counting votes is expected to take longer than usual. Elections Canada has warned that results may not be available until well into the night, if not the following day.
Poilievre’s main challenger is Independent candidate Bonnie Critchley, a military veteran who has not held back in her criticism. She describes Poilievre as a "parachute candidate"—someone who, despite being born and raised in Calgary, has spent the last two decades living in Ottawa and is only now seeking to represent Alberta for the sake of his political career. According to The Canadian Press, Critchley’s attacks have resonated with some voters who are wary of outsiders and political opportunism.
Other notable candidates include Darcy Spady, representing the Liberals and hailing from the energy sector, and Katherine Swampy, the New Democratic Party’s candidate and a former band councillor for Samson Cree Nation. The Libertarian Party’s Michael Harris is also in the race, campaigning on a platform that includes a referendum on whether Alberta should consider separating from the rest of Canada.
But it’s not just the high-profile names that make this election unique. The majority of candidates are affiliated with the Longest Ballot Committee, a group using the byelection as a platform to protest and raise awareness about the need for electoral reform. Their presence could siphon votes away from the major parties, and as Simmons pointed out, “For some people, this might be a protest vote against the Conservative Party.”
Despite these complications, most analysts agree that Poilievre remains the overwhelming favorite. The question, as Simmons put it, is not whether he will win, but by how much. Anything less than the historic 80 percent benchmark set by previous Conservative candidates could be interpreted as a sign of vulnerability, especially with his leadership review looming.
Poilievre’s campaign has indicated that he plans to be in Camrose, the riding’s largest municipality, on election day—an effort to show his commitment to the community and to counter the “parachute” narrative. With the eyes of the national media and political insiders fixed on Battle River-Crowfoot, the outcome will be closely scrutinized not only for what it says about Poilievre’s future, but also about the health of Canada’s electoral system.
Meanwhile, the logistical challenges posed by the unprecedented number of candidates have forced Elections Canada to innovate. Voters will receive thick, coil-bound, 32-page laminated booklets listing all 214 candidates at polling stations. This, combined with the blank ballot, represents a radical departure from the traditional voting process. The agency has reassured voters that efforts have been made to ensure the process is accessible and that no vote will be lost due to minor errors in handwriting or spelling.
The riding’s history as a Conservative stronghold may offer Poilievre some comfort, but the presence of so many protest candidates and vocal independents means that the final tally could deliver surprises. Simmons noted that, “If Poilievre sees less than the average percentage of votes Conservatives have received in the last few elections, it could be because of vocal challengers like Independent candidate Bonnie Critchley.”
For the Conservative Party, the byelection is more than just a local contest—it’s a litmus test of Poilievre’s leadership and the party’s continued dominance in its heartland. For the protest candidates and electoral reform advocates, it’s a rare opportunity to spotlight issues of democratic representation. For voters, it’s a chance to make their voices heard in what may be the most crowded and unconventional election in Canadian history.
As election night approaches and the ballots begin to be counted, all eyes will be on Battle River-Crowfoot. Whether the outcome is a routine Conservative landslide or a more nuanced reflection of shifting political winds, this byelection is certain to leave its mark on Canada’s political landscape.
