Enumerators faced attacks while gathering voter data

Enumerators have suffered broken bones, been attacked by dogs, ended up in hospital and had their cars scratched to the point of needing a repaint as they gathered information from Albertans ahead of the 2019 election.

Elections Alberta has submitted 20 claims to the Workers’ Compensation Board since enumerators began knocking on doors on Sept. 8 to update the electors’ roll.

On top of the dog bites and broken limbs, police were called on several occasions by workers who were followed, harassed or physically pushed by residents of households they were trying to enumerate.

This year’s mandatory enumeration came at the behest of the provincial government through Bill 32, which instituted a series of election law changes. It was the most expensive change, requiring 7,000 enumerators to be hired to go door-to-door across the province.

Between the enumeration, the addition of a fifth day of advance polls and the creation of mobile polls, Elections Alberta now needs an extra $8,874,000 to do its job.

A legislative committee approved the cash for the independent body Tuesday after hearing from chief electoral officer Glen Resler.

Resler told the committee the enumeration has been a “very stressful period” for his staff, and has delayed planning for the 2019 general election.

Still, he told Postmedia afterwards, his office is working hard to be ready — even if it’s not there yet.

As for the injuries, Resler said Elections Alberta tries to minimize the risk to enumerators.

“Not every residence is a friendly residence, not everyone wants to have a conversation with what they perceive as a government worker,” he said.

Resler said his office has confirmed voter information for 1.4 million residences — around 67 per cent of the two million homes on Alberta’s permanent register.