Elections Calgary to recount ballots in tight mayoral race
CBC
Calgary's returning officer has approved Sonya Sharp's request for a recount of the votes cast in the city's mayoral election.
Elections Calgary said the recount will be held on Monday at 9:30 a.m. at the Big Four Roadhouse.
Votes cast at all voting stations will be recounted. Any changes to the official results will be communicated by the returning officer.
The request was approved on Friday evening, hours after Sharp officially submitted a recount application.
“This request is about strengthening trust in the system,” Sharp wrote in a statement.
Sharp had previously said she would seek a recount in accordance with legislation, but it was unclear what route she'd choose to take under new rules introduced by the provincial government.
On Friday, Sharp wrote that she had formally requested the recount under the Local Authorities Election Act. That route was only available to Sharp after the city posted official results, which happened earlier in the day.
In requesting the recount, Sharp cited a councillor race in Ward sipiwiyiniwak that flipped after an Edmonton Elections recount.
In that case, an initial tally showed six votes separating Darrell Friesen from Thu Parmar. After a recount, Parmar finished ahead by more than 600 votes, with Edmonton Elections citing "administrative or technical errors."
“This incident underscores why recounts are vital to maintaining public trust in elections. Calgarians deserve the same level of confidence that every vote is counted accurately and the process is beyond reproach,” Sharp wrote.
According to official results posted by the city, Jeromy Farkas was elected mayor with 91,071 votes compared to Sharp's 90,490, a difference of 581.
Sharp wrote that regardless of the outcome, she was hopeful the experience would lead to meaningful updates to the Local Authorities Election Act, which has caused confusion as to how recounts are carried out.
“Elections across Alberta should be administered with consistent standards, clear procedures, and greater transparency that supports public confidence,” Sharp wrote.
Farkas and Sharp are separated by less than 0.5 per cent of the total number of ballots cast for mayor. Under election rules, Calgary's returning officer can advance a recount if the first and second place candidates are separated by 0.5 per cent or less.
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