Poilievre calls for law to block long ballot protests ahead of Alberta byelection

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says the long list of names lining up to flood the ballot in his upcoming federal byelection amounts to a "blatant abuse" of democracy — and he wants the government to do something about it.

More than 100 candidates sponsored by the Longest Ballot Committee are registered to run against Poilievre in a byelection in the Alberta riding of Battle River—Crowfoot set for Aug. 18.The advocacy group also targeted Poilievre's former riding of Carleton in the spring election.

The Conservative leader, who is seeking a path back to the House of Commons, says in a letter to Liberal House leader Steve MacKinnon that the group is confusing voters and undermining democracy by flooding the ballot with unserious candidates.

The Conservatives want the Liberals to pass a law when Parliament returns in September that would require a candidate to obtain signatures from 0.5 per cent of the riding's population, not just 100 people.The party also wants each signature to be exclusive to one candidate, and for riding agents to be barred from representing more than one person at a time.