Fees and Expenses
In 1905, the nomination deposit was set at $100, a figure that was well beyond the means of ordinary citizens at the time. Despite inflation, this fee was not changed until 1992 when it was doubled to $200, thus remaining a nominal sum to many Albertans. In 2004, the government controversially increased the required deposit again, to $500, although it became easier to get half of the new deposit back. The government contended that the increase was necessary to deter frivolous candidacies, encourage timely filing of financial statements, and help pay for Elections Alberta's expenses. Some smaller parties argue that an excessively high deposit represents an unacceptable "user fee" on democracy.
Prior to the 2004 general election a candidate received his or her deposit back if he or she was elected or receives at least one half the votes of the elected candidate. Candidates who failed to meet these benchmarks forfeited their deposits. Starting with the 2004 election however, the refund policy described above only applies to half of the new deposit ($250). The other half of the deposit is refunded if the candidate files the required financial statements with Elections Alberta within the prescribed time frame, regardless of how many votes he or she receives. Therefore, a failed candidate who files timely financial statements would lose $250. A change in legislation in 2010 led to the deposit being fully refundable to candidates who file their post-election financial report on time.
A nomination deposit for a senatorial candidate costs $4000. The reason for this relatively hefty sum is that the Constitution of Canada requires senators to own $4000 worth of property. The practice of electing senators has been criticized as frivolous because under the Constitution senators are appointed by the Prime Minister of Canada, and only two people elected as a senator, Stan Waters and Bert Brown, have ever been appointed to the Senate of Canada.
Elections Alberta reported $6,844,686 in expenses for the 2004 general election.
Read more about this topic: Elections Alberta
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