As part of the War Measures Act, all Canadian citizens were required to be registered. This card states, “This certificate must always be carried upon the person of the registrant.” The registration certificates were also used for elections. Ethel is registered as to her Electoral District (Peace River) and her Polling Division (Spirit River).

Today, voters must prove their identity and current physical address to vote in Alberta. To do this, voters can provide one piece of identification, such as their driver’s license or Alberta identification card, or two pieces of identification both containing their name and with one showing current physical address, such as a utility bill and student identification card, or have another elector vouch for them.

Visit elections.ab.ca/VoterID for the current list of identification authorized for use in provincial elections, including more information on the vouching process.

Photo Credit: South Peace Regional Archives GPR 0597-2014.082.15

Why do you think voter identification can be an issue during elections?