Edmonton’s municipal election faced delays in voting and counting due to various factors, according to Edmonton Elections. The city’s election agency attributed the setbacks to labor shortages, power outages, and technological issues, as stated in a release on Tuesday afternoon.
Polls were supposed to close at 8 p.m. MT on Monday, but due to long lines, some voting locations extended their hours by two hours past the deadline to accommodate voters. The first results were reported just before 10:30 p.m. Counting initially paused at 1 a.m. on Tuesday and resumed at 9 a.m. to determine the new mayor and councillors for Edmonton.
By 2 p.m., Tim Cartmell conceded the mayoral race, congratulating Andrew Knack, a three-term city councillor, as the mayor-elect. Some voters in Edmonton reported experiencing lengthy wait times to cast their ballots on Monday. Edmonton Elections explained that the voting process differed this year, potentially affecting the voting duration.
Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams mentioned that municipalities had adequate time to plan for the new election rules introduced in spring 2024. Williams acknowledged that while delays occurred in Edmonton due to labor shortages and technical issues, many municipalities managed to get timely results.
Drew Westwater, a retired deputy chief electoral officer at Elections Alberta, highlighted the challenge of predicting staffing needs for such counts. He noted that many local administrators in Alberta had not previously managed manual elections, as they were accustomed to using voting machines.
Edmonton voter Susan Babcock expressed disappointment over the shift to paper ballots, advocating for proven technology to automate vote counting. Councillors Michael Janz and Aaron Paquette criticized the provincial government for the election process’s inefficiencies and cost implications.
Edmonton Elections reported that 30% of votes were released on election night, with counting continuing at the Edmonton Expo Centre on Tuesday morning. Unofficial results, including a voter turnout of 30.27%, were announced, marking the lowest turnout since 2007. The city aims to release preliminary results soon, as the ballot counting and verification processes progress.
