Search

FAQ

Voting in the Bencher Election

Voting

Q:

A:

Who can vote?

Active members of the Law Society of Alberta, as of Oct. 24, 2023, are eligible to vote. Voters who become inactive after that date, due to a change in status, suspension, resignation or disbarment, will be removed from the eligible voter list.

Voting information will be emailed to the preferred email address on file with the Law Society. It will be emailed on Nov. 14, the day voting opens.

Q:

A:

When can I vote?

Voting opens Nov. 14 and closes at 4:30 p.m. (Mountain Standard Time – GMT-07:00) on Nov. 21. You can vote using eBallot, an independent, anonymous online voting platform.

Q:

A:

How many votes do I get?

As required under s.12(4) of the Legal Profession Act, President-Elect Deanna Steblyk, KC appears on the ballot solely to reflect that she is considered to have been elected. Additionally, all three District Representatives, Stephanie Dobson (North), Bud Melnyk, KC (Central) and Ryan D. Anderson, KC (South) have been acclaimed. This leaves 16 available seats for the election.

You can vote for anywhere from one to 16 candidates on your ballot.

Q:

A:

Can I vote for candidates who are not in my geographic region or district?

Active lawyers can vote for any candidate, regardless of whether they are in your geographic region or district. If a lawyer in Calgary votes for a lawyer in Edmonton, that vote counts.

Candidates are elected from all votes cast throughout the province, not just votes from voters in their region or district.

Q:

A:

How do I vote with eBallot?

If you are an eligible voter, you will receive your voting credentials (username and password) from eBallot on Nov. 14 via your preferred email address.

To vote in the 2023 Bencher Election, follow these steps:

  1. Visit the voting site directly, or use the link found in the email from eBallot.
  2. Log in using your Law Society of Alberta Member ID and your eBallot-provided password.
  3. Electronically mark the ballot next to the names of candidates of your choice.
  4. Follow the instructions on the page to submit your votes.

If you did not receive a copy of your original credentials, check your Junk/Spam folder on your email account. If you need to update your contact information, follow the instructions on the Law Society website.

Once a day, eBallot will send out credentials to any lawyer who has updated their contact information since the start of voting.

If you voted in the 2020 or 2017 Bencher Election, you may already have your Member ID and password auto-completed on the login page for eBallot. To access the 2020 ballot, you must enter your new password provided in an email from eBallot for the 2023 election. Logins using the old password will be directed to the 2020 or 2017 ballots only.

For issues logging into your ballot, contact eBallot via email or call their Voter Support hotline at 1 (866) 984-3125.

Please note: If you do not have a copy of your email with your login credentials, click this link, enter your Member ID and click Submit. If you did not receive a copy of your original credentials, check your Junk/Spam folder on your email account.

Q:

A:

What should I do if I have issues logging in?

For issues logging into your ballot, contact eBallot at help@eballot.com or contact their Voter Support hotline at 1-866-984-3125.

If you voted in the 2017 or 2020 election, you may have your previous password saved in the password autofill field on the ballot. Please ensure you use the new password provided in your email to access the 2023 ballot.

Q:

A:

I never got my voting credentials. What do I do?

If you do not have a copy of your email with your login credentials, click this link, enter your Member ID and click Submit.

If you did not receive a copy of your original credentials, check your Junk/Spam folder on your email account.

Q:

A:

My email address has changed since Oct. 24. How do I vote?

If you update your email address in the Lawyer Portal after Oct. 24, eBallot will automatically reissue credentials to you within one business day. However, if you change your email address on Nov. 21, the final day of voting, we cannot guarantee you will be reissued credentials in time for voting.

Q:

A:

Can Articling Students Vote?

Only active lawyers (lawyers with Active – Indemnified, Active – In-House, Active – Non-Practising, Active – Part-time, Active – Pro Bono status) are eligible to vote. Articling Students are not eligible to vote.

Tabulation

Q:

A:

Who wins the election?

Candidates are elected based on the total number of votes received, subject to the district calculation, explained below.

Q:

A:

How do you determine the winners and District Representatives?

The Law Society of Alberta has five districts:

  • The Northern District covers all areas north of Wetaskiwin. It excludes Edmonton (All areas lying north of the 53rd parallel);
  • The Southern District cuts through the centre of Calgary and along the top of the Tsuut’ina Nation. It excludes Calgary (All areas lying south of the 52nd parallel);
  • The Central District falls between the two parallels, excluding Calgary;
  • The City of Edmonton; and,
  • The City of Calgary.

For voting purposes, all candidates, regardless of location, are in one large general pool.

All voters, throughout the province, will vote for their entire selection of up to 16 candidates from amongst all of the candidates, regardless of location. They do not have to vote for 16 people, but can vote for anywhere from 1-16 candidates.

We do not have specific elections for the district representatives.

Once all of the votes are tabulated, the Law Society identifies the North, Central and Southern District representative candidates and determines who among them has the highest number of votes.

The district candidate with the highest number of votes in that district becomes the District Representative. In the case of 2023’s Election, all three District Representative postions have been acclaimed.

All remaining candidates, including the remaining district candidates, continue to the general pool. The Law Society reviews the results for the remaining candidates and determines the candidates with the 16 highest total votes to fill the 16 remaining seats. The Bencher table is determined by going down the list of all remaining candidates starting from the highest number of votes until all seats are filled.

Becoming a Bencher

Becoming a Candidate

Q:

A:

How do I submit my nomination for the Bencher Election?

If you are considering running in this year’s election, please note that the online nomination form will be open from Oct. 3 – 17, 2023.

The nomination form includes the following required fields:

  • Legal name
  • Preferred name, if different from legal name
  • Member ID
  • Firm, organization or practice setting name
  • Location of practice
  • Location of residence
  • Year of call
  • Practice area(s)
  • The names of two nominators
  • CV, in PDF format
  • Photograph (to be used on Bencher Election website), in jpg, png or gif format
  • Candidate Statement, no more than 500 words in length

Additionally, each candidate will be required to collect the certifications of two active lawyers in Alberta to endorse their nomination. The certification process is completed via the application through the Lawyer Portal.

Nominations must be complete by midnight on Oct. 17 to be eligible for the election.

Campaigning

Q:

A:

What are the rules around campaigning?

Campaigning is essential for election to the Law Society Bencher Table. Candidates are elected by their peers, and ensuring that your peers are aware of your candidacy is critical to your success.

The Law Society provides the Bencher Election website to serve as a single platform that will give each candidate a place for their information, and we strongly encourage candidates to take advantage of this one-stop shop for their candidacy. Other forms of campaigning, including electronic messages, social media, letter-writing or any other form of communication are at the sole discretion of the candidate and will not be supported by the Law Society directly.

Please note that the Rules of the Law Society specifically prohibit statements that constitute a campaign promise or similar comment, or are libellous, in breach of the Code of Conduct or in bad taste.

The determination of the above is at the discretion of the Law Society’s Executive Director.

Q:

A:

Am I allowed/obligated to complete third-party surveys?

As a candidate, you may receive surveys from third-party organizations who may be looking for information on your views and candidacy. The Law Society does not expect or mandate the completion of these surveys as part of your candidacy; you are welcome to complete them as long as you remain in compliance with the Rules pertaining to campaigning.

Q:

A:

Is there a specific period in which I can campaign?

You may begin campaigning on Oct. 24, 2023, providing that you have received notification from the Law Society that your nomination process is complete.

Appointment as a Bencher

Q:

A:

What happens if I’m not elected?

Throughout their three-year term, members of the Bencher table may vacate their position. In those circumstances, the Benchers may appoint a Law Society member to complete the term.

The process to appoint a member into the available position is defined in the Law Society’s rules and considers the potential candidate’s district representation, competencies, diverse characteristics and the results of the most recent Bencher election.

By running in the Bencher Election, you may be considered eligible for a vacant position in your district, should the need arise.

Q:

A:

How does Rule 17 pertain to the appointment of Benchers?

Throughout their three-year term, members of the Bencher table may vacate their position. In those circumstances, the Benchers may appoint a Law Society member to complete the term.

The process to appoint a member into the available position is defined in the Law Society’s rules and was recently amended to take into account not only the potential candidate’s district representation and the results of the most recent Bencher election, but also the potential candidate’s competencies and characteristics, to provide greater diversity at the Bencher table.

If you run in the Bencher Election but are unsuccessful, you may be considered eligible for a vacant position in your district, should the need arise.

Being a Bencher

Time Commitment

Q:

A:

What is the time commitment for Benchers?

Benchers may spend roughly 300 – 500 hours each year on Law Society work. Benchers who chair committees and actively participate in the adjudication work, will be at the higher end of that range. Committee work is divided amongst the Benchers and external volunteers, and Benchers may sit on a number of committees and/or task forces in any given year.

Q:

A:

How often do the Benchers meet?

The Benchers hold meetings five times each year, with four meetings held in Calgary and one meeting being an annual planning retreat in Jasper.

Committee meetings are typically held five times each year. Committees generally meet either toward the end of a working day (between 3-5 p.m.) or prior to the workday starting (7:45 a.m.), usually by video-conference or via teleconference.

Mandatory education sessions related to the adjudication role of a Bencher are held several times per year.

Responsibilities

The Benchers’ key responsibilities divide generally in two ways: governance and adjudication.

Q:

A:

What are Benchers' responsibilities regarding governance?

As a Board, the Benchers set the policy of the Law Society, enact rules pursuant to the Legal Profession Act, set standards of admission and practice, and carry out corporate responsibilities such as policy-making, business planning and budgeting.

  • Benchers sit on a number of committees and task forces that may have adjudicative and policy making responsibilities.
  • Committees are chaired by Benchers but may be comprised of Benchers, lawyers and members of the public.
  • Benchers may be appointed as Law Society representatives or delegates to outside but related bodies. The Bencher appointed shall provide information or reports to and shall obtain direction from the Board as appropriate, to be determined by the Benchers or the Executive Committee at the time of appointment.

When exercising their governance function, Benchers are expected to:

  • Abide by the Board Relations Norms;
  • Attend and participate in Board meetings and meetings of committees to which they are appointed;
  • Attend orientation and education sessions; and,
  • Be familiar with materials provided in advance of general and committee meetings.

Q:

A:

What are Benchers' responsibilities regarding adjudication?

Benchers are expected to participate in various adjudicative roles, including hearings on disciplinary matters, admission and membership matters, and Assurance Fund claims.

  • Benchers will participate on panels made up of one, three, seven or 13 adjudicators, depending on the nature of the proceedings.
  • While the duration of a proceeding varies, typically, most proceedings take one to four days.
  • Benchers have decision writing responsibilities.
  • Benchers are required to participate in mandatory training sessions designed to assist them in discharging their responsibilities as adjudicators.

When exercising their adjudicative role, Benchers are expected to:

  • accept appointments to hearing panels;
  • act as Chair of those panels from time to time, and to write hearing decisions in a timely fashion;
  • review and be familiar with materials;
  • be conversant with the guidelines approved by the Benchers; and,
  • act with fairness and in accordance with the principles of natural justice as a decision-maker in an administrative law context.

Compensation

Q:

A:

Do the Benchers get paid?

The Benchers are volunteers and donate their time to regulate the profession (the exception being an honourarium received by the President). The Law Society does reimburse Benchers for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses in connection with their duties, including attending board and committee meetings, hearings, and meetings with outside bodies.

Questions?

If your question isn’t answered in the above FAQ, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Contact Us