Red Deer is the only place in Alberta that’s having trouble recruiting workers for the federal election, which is now less than two weeks away.
About 300 positions need to be filled.
Red Deer-Lacombe and Red Deer-Mountain View electoral districts are each looking for about 150 workers for the Oct. 21 election.
Leanne Nyirfa, Elections Canada’s regional media adviser, said districts generally hire between 600 and 800 workers.
Finding workers in northern Alberta can sometimes be more difficult, but not this year.
“In Alberta, the only one I’ve heard of is the Red Deer area, so that’s interesting,” Nyirfa said.
She said returning offices will contact her if an extra push is required to fill job openings.
Red Deer-area returning offices are going through online applications, and it’s hard to say why so many jobs have yet to be filled, said Nyirfa.
“It really depends on what the economy is like when the election is on.”
Across Canada, about 300,000 people will work the election.
Types of workers required include poll clerks, information officers, registration officers, central poll supervisors and deputy returning officers. She said people can be hired right up until a couple of days before the election. Workers must be Canadian citizens and be at least 16 years old on election day.
Twenty-five per cent more polling stations will be open for the election.
“We know with the last election, there were some long lineups in some areas of the country,” Nyirfa said.
Early next week, election workers will visit patients’ rooms in hospitals to ensure they have the opportunity to vote. Mobile polling stations can be set up at long-term care facilities if residents make a request through facility administration.
Visit elections.ca for information about voting and employment.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter