Edmonton Elections promises safe experience for voters in October
The first municipal election in Edmonton since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic is nearly a month away and the city is laying out their plan to provide a safe experience to voters.
The number of available polls people will be able to cast their vote at has increased from 189 during the 2017 election to 212 this year. The polling stations themselves will also be larger than in 2017 to accommodate for physical distancing.
In keeping with provincial health measures and city bylaws, masking will be required inside polling stations. Edmontonians can also expect to see additional sanitation measures and plexiglass dividers at the polls.
Additionally election workers will have to complete a pre-screening test for COVID-19 prior to their shift.
The city is also planning to launch an online tool prior to the election that will provide information on how long the wait times are at the polls so Edmontonians can plan to vote during hours with less demand.
Aileen Giesbrecht, the city clerk and returning officer for Edmonton Elections, explained the attention to safety at the polls this year.
“The Edmonton Elections team is prepared to deliver a safe election. The safety of voters and workers is one of our top priorities and we’re implementing safety measures to ensure everybody who visits a voting station feels safe.”
ADVANCED VOTING
The number of advanced voting polls for the municipal election has doubled from six in 2017 to twelve this year.
The early polls will be open from Oct. 4 to 13 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. every day, including Thanksgiving Day.
Advance stations will also offer an electronic ballot marker with will allow people with visual or physical disabilities to view and mark their ballots independently.
There is also a hearing loop system for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
ELECTION DAY
Election day in Edmonton is October 18. Polls will be open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Eligible voters can find their polling station for both advanced voting and for Election Day at Edmonton.ca/wheretovote
Voters will be filling out two ballots at the polls this year, the first being the usual municipal ballot which includes options for mayor, councillor and school trustee.
The second will be a provincial ballot which will include names for Alberta’s senate nominee, as well as two referendum questions on whether:
- to remove the principle of equalization payments from Canada’s constitution
- Alberta should remain on Daylight Saving Time (summer hours) year-round
DEADLINE FOR CANDIDACY
Aspiring candidates for mayor or city council still have time to put their name forward for consideration. Those wishing to be put on the ballet have until noon on Sept. 20 to submit their nomination paperwork and deposit.
The deadline to withdraw from candidacy is at noon on Sept. 21.
People with further questions about the nomination process can visit Edmonton.ca/forcandidates or call 3-1-1.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.