It’s civic election day and one thing is certain: we will have a new mayor for the first time in 11 years. Less certain is who that new leader will be or the results of the many other questions on the ballot.
If you need to know where and when to vote, Elections Calgary has you covered:
- https://www.calgary.ca/election/information-for-voters/when-and-where-to-vote.html
- https://www.calgary.ca/election/information-for-voters/whats-on-the-ballot.html
For results, the Calgary Journal will be hosting live election coverage starting as polls close at 8:00 p.m. You can follow along here:
And for more background, here is what Calgarians will be voting on in this municipal election.
A slew of mayoral candidates
After 11 years in office, Mayor Naheed Nenshi stated he would not be seeking re-election for a fourth term – a statement that left the city’s mayoral race wide open.
In response to this announcement, a staggering 27 candidates with varying campaign stances and promises have put their names forward in a highly competitive race that will likely be close.
VOTE 2021
Meet the mayoral candidates
On Monday, Calgarians go to the polls to choose a new mayor. To help with the decision, we talked to the candidates and asked them five questions about them and their campaign.
Advance polls support this claim, as according to Elections Calgary, a record 141,329 Calgarians cast their ballots early between Oct. 4 and Oct. 10. This figure was just shy of a 100 per cent increase from the city’s last advance polls held in 2017.
In addition to the mayor, 14 councillors will be elected for each respective ward throughout the city, as well as seven councillors for each of the public and separate school boards.
A list of all mayoral candidates, as well as ward councillor and school board candidates, can be found on Elections Calgary’s website.
What else will be on the ballot?
Alongside the election of new municipal councillors and trustees, there will be a short list of plebiscite, referendum and provincial senate questions present on election day ballots.
Two referendum questions will be presented to Calgarians.
Voters will be able to cast their ballots regarding the continuation of federal equalization payments and the adoption of a year-round daylight savings time.
Ballots will also be cast towards three Senate of Canada nominees for when future Alberta vacancies occur. A list of Senate candidates can be found here.
Finally, Calgarians will voice their opinions on the potential fluoridation of the city’s water supply. This particular vote is non-binding, and the city council will make the final decision on whether or not the city ups the concentration of these natural chemical compounds.
Fluoride was removed from the city’s water supply in 2011.
There will be 24 election day stations running across the city for 12 hours from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
To locate the stations within your ward you can cast your vote, enter your address on Elections Calgary’s Where Do I Vote? look-up tool.
To find your ward’s voting stations or to learn more about the candidates running in this election, refer to Elections Calgary’s website at: www.calgary.ca/election.html