In Alberta, the election results are expected to be delayed due to the manual hand count process replacing electronic vote tabulators. Municipalities across the province are bracing for longer counting periods, increased costs, and a higher risk of spoiled ballots following the provincial ban on electronic tabulators last year.
Calgary’s chief returning officer, Kate Martin, mentioned the city’s preparation efforts, including adding more voting stations and election workers. While the mayoral results are anticipated on election night, the outcomes for council and trustee races may take longer to finalize.
Smaller municipalities like Okotoks and Cochrane are facing similar challenges with the manual count. Okotoks’ chief returning officer, Cathy Duplessis, highlighted the town’s shift from electronic tabulators to hand counting this year. In Cochrane, ballots will be counted twice for accuracy, with results expected to be released the following day.
The city of Airdrie is implementing the kangaroo method, a faster counting strategy, for the election. Preliminary mayoral results are set to be announced on Monday night, while council and school trustee races results may not be available until late Wednesday.
Red Deer is also adopting the kangaroo method, with the official results expected by Friday due to the complexity of multi-candidate ballots.
One concern with the manual count process is the potential increase in spoiled ballots, as human error could lead to ballots being rejected during counting. The additional manpower required for manual counting has also led to increased expenses for municipalities.
While the province believes the manual count enhances election result confidence, some municipalities hope for a return to automated tabulators in future elections due to efficiency and effectiveness concerns.
Overall, the shift to manual counting has posed challenges for Alberta municipalities, impacting election timelines and costs.