After a recount of ballots by Edmonton Elections, the outcome of an Edmonton ward race changed on Wednesday. Initially, Darrell Friesen had a slight lead over Thu Parmar in Ward sipiwiyiniwak, with only six votes separating them. Following the recount ordered by Edmonton Elections due to the close margin, Parmar emerged as the winner.
Parmar expressed her elation, likening the experience to winning in overtime. The city’s official website announced Parmar’s victory with 30.36% of the votes, surpassing Friesen’s 27.5% by over 600 votes. The recount revealed that the initial count discrepancy was due to human error, as confirmed by Edmonton Elections during a news release on Wednesday.
While Edmonton Elections continued to count ballots in three remaining wards from the recent municipal election, Parmar emphasized the need for improved oversight in the electoral process. She highlighted concerns about long wait times at polling stations and called for a post-event review to enhance accuracy in hand-counting.
Friesen, despite his shock at the recount results, expressed acceptance and praised Parmar’s victory, stating that she would be an excellent candidate. He plans to collaborate with Parmar to address community concerns moving forward.
In other wards, delays were attributed to incomplete ballot counts at polling stations in Métis, Pihêsiwin, and Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi. The uncounted votes were from Keheewin School, St. Alphonsus Catholic School, and George H. Luck School. Candidates like Jon Morgan and Ashley Salvador criticized the hand-counting requirement, citing challenges and delays in the process.
Morgan highlighted the strain on Edmonton Elections due to new provincial regulations mandating hand-counting, leading to logistical difficulties. The final results on the city’s website revealed winners like Michael Elliott and Ashley Salvador in their respective wards. The ballot counting took place at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Centre on Stony Plain Road.
Overall, the election process in Edmonton faced scrutiny over delays and issues arising from the hand-counting mandate, prompting calls for improved procedures and resources in future electoral events.