City says counting ballots by hand in next year's elections will cost an extra $4.8M, wants province to pay

The City of Edmonton says next year's municipal election will cost taxpayers nearly $5-million more than expected.

The increased costs come as a result of the province's Bill 20, introduced by the United Conservative Party government last spring.

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A report from Edmonton Elections estimates hand counting ballots will cost about $2.6 million.

That's in addition to $1.8 million for permanent electors registration, $371,000 for special ballots, $630,000 to accommodate political parties and $676,000 for additional support staff.

In total, the 2025 municipal election is expected to cost $4.8-million more as a result of the bill.

"That's the equivalent of about a 0.3-per-cent property tax increase at a time where we have seen downloading in a number of other areas," Andrew Knack, the councillor for Ward Nakota Isga, told media on Wednesday.

Premier Danielle Smith said last week at the Alberta Municipalities convention in Red Deer that electronic tabulators have failed to produce faster results and confidence in them.

Last year, UCP members voted overwhelmingly to ban ballot-counting machines in provincial elections, citing security concerns.

Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi called the move "absolutely a waste of resources, in my mind."

"But we have to comply with provincial legislation. We are obligated to do so," Sohi told media. "I am just disappointed."

The issue is up for discussion this week at city hall, with Sohi looking to the province to pick up the tab.

When asked if the province will pay, a spokesperson for Alberta's municipal affairs minister said "municipalities have always been responsible for bearing the cost of conducting their elections and that has not changed."

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Chelan Skulski and The Canadian Press