and Alliance Member of Parliament for Yellowhead; Jim Silye, President of an oil exploration company and former Calgary Stampeders player; and David Usherwood, a farmer and financial advisor. Three candidates were nominated under the Alberta Alliance Party, including Michael Roth, a small business owner from Lacombe; Vance Gough a Calgary entrepreneur and business instructor at Mount Royal University who previously finished fourth of four candidates in 1998; and Gary Horan, a small business owner from Edmonton. Two independent candidates contested the election, Link Byfield, the former publisher of Alberta Report and western rights advocate; and Tom Sindlinger, an economist and former Member of the Legislative Assembly for Calgary-Buffalo. The Social Credit party attempted to nominate Gerry Pyne of Calgary, but were unable to obtain the 1,500 signatures required to get on the ballot, and the party therefore was not represented in the election. As of the date of the election, there were three vacant Alberta seats in the Senate of Canada, with another set to become vacant within six years. Voters could vote for up to four candidates, though many candidates encouraged their supporters to vote for only one, a legal option, to prevent the vote totals of their competitors from rising. A total of 2,176,341 votes were cast (714,709 ballots). Aftermath Overall, Albertans were seen as disinterested in the Provincial election and Senate nominee election. Elections Alberta stated the provincial election turnout was 44.7 per cent of eligible voters, while the Senate nominee election saw a turnout of 44.2 per cent (885,289 ballots). Although total turnout included 85,937 (9.7 per cent) voters decline ballots, and 84,643 (9.6 per cent) voters rejecting their ballot. Commentators such as the Edmonton Journal editorial board called the large number of declined and rejected ballots a grim picture for Alberta's Senator-in-waiting strategy for reform. Many Liberal and NDP supporters were observed discarding their Senate nominee ballots, while the proportion of spoiled ballots was higher in ridings and polls where the Liberals and NDP did well in the concurrent Legislature election. The Klein government sent the four Senators-in-waiting on a cross-country trip following the election in Spring 2005 to promote Senate reform. Although Klein refused to give the group of nominees the opportunity to speak at the August 2005 Council of the Federation meeting in Banff. Prime Minister Paul Martin refused to advise Governor General Adrienne Clarkson to appoint the elected Senate nominees to the