Red Deer city councillors have voiced their concerns over the challenges faced during the recent local election, particularly the long lines at voting stations and the delay in releasing official results. The issues, which were raised in a recent council meeting, reflect broader dissatisfaction among voters and candidates over the election process.

Delays in Results Release

Coun. Chad Krahn highlighted that only half of the votes for city councillors had been counted by the end of Tuesday following the Monday, Oct. 20 election. He questioned why the preliminary results for the council races were not released as quickly as they were for the mayoral race, which saw unofficial results announced by 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 21.

The official results for all races—including mayor, council, and school board trustees—were released shortly before midnight on Oct. 22. Krahn expressed frustration that the report did not address the delay, noting that it left the city as the last to release results.

City manager Tara Lodewyk acknowledged the delay did not sit well with many voters and candidates. She emphasized that one of the key takeaways from the election process would be to ensure that results are released more promptly in the future.

Challenges Faced by Election Workers

Coun. Kraymer Barnstable noted that the election report was mostly positive but did not reflect the negative experiences of some candidates. He said his own experience during the election was not as positive as the report suggested.

Election workers faced additional challenges due to provincial government-mandated changes. Polling station staff had to gather information for a new Provincial Elector Registry, which added to the workload and contributed to long voting lines across the province.

A new provincial requirement that all ballots be hand-counted also extended the time needed to finalize results in the city, where electronic vote tabulators had been used in previous elections. Lodewyk explained that the city prioritized ensuring the hand-counting process went smoothly over releasing results quickly.

Financial and Logistical Costs

Coun. Bruce Buruma pointed out that the government-mandated changes led to longer lines and higher costs for the city. The city spent $607,000 of the total $1.3 million election bill, which is more than double the $593,000 spent on the 2021 election.

Red Deer is also considering adding more voting stations beyond the seven available in the last election to address the issue of long lines. Coun. Dianne Wyntjes shared the story of a senior citizen who gave up on voting after seeing long lines at several stations, highlighting the real-world impact of the delays and logistical challenges.

Wyntjes urged Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams to heed the concerns of municipalities regarding the last election. She emphasized the importance of ensuring that the democratic process works effectively for all citizens.

Council unanimously passed a resolution to amend the election report to address community expectations regarding the real-time release of preliminary results and to include post-election candidate survey results in future planning.

The issues raised by the councillors underscore the need for improved communication and planning in future elections, particularly in light of ongoing changes to provincial election laws and the growing importance of timely results in maintaining public trust in the electoral process.