Q: When is the 2010 Municipal / School Board Election?
Election Day is legislated to be the third Monday in October, every three years. This means that October 18, 2010 is Election Day.
Q: Who is the Chief Returning Officer?
Christopher Belke has been named by City Council and the school boards as the 2010 Election Returning Officer. Chris can be contacted by e-mail at
election@st-albert.net or by phone at
780-459-1500.
Q: Why is the City of St. Albert’s election different than the Province of Alberta’s or City of Edmonton’s elections?
The City of St. Albert follows the requirements of the Alberta
Municipal Government Act, School Act, and
Local Authorities Election Act. Beyond those requirements, the City is authorized to set policy, approve bylaws, and manage its election at its discretion. Other jurisdictions may conduct their elections in slightly different ways to meet the needs of their communities, as St. Albert does.
Q: Where do residents vote on Election Day?
Each voter has been assigned to a specific voting station. For 2010, voting stations will continue to be located in community facilities, such as churches and halls, to ensure that parking capacity and other logistical requirements are maintained.
See the
list of voting stations or watch the St. Albert Gazette in October 2010 for a map of voting stations.
Q: How may residents vote prior to Election Day?
The City offers a number of opportunities for residents to vote who cannot vote on Election Day.
The first option is to visit an Advance Voting Station, which is open to any interested voter. Advance Voting Stations are scheduled on five dates prior to Election Day. The second option is to request a special “mail-in” ballot, which is provided to those residents that meet the eligibility requirements. The third option is for residents who reside in one of the city’s long-term care facilities or who reside in the Sturgeon Community Hospital on Election Day. Election officials will visit these facilities prior to or on Election Day to collect the ballots of residents in these locations.
For more information on each of these voting options, please refer to the
Types of Voting Opportunities.
Q: What has the City done to ensure an efficient voting process?
Some line-ups at voting stations are inevitable during peak times on Election Day; however, the City has based its election staffing requirements on 2007 voting patterns and the number of eligible voters for 2010. Two electronic ballot tabulators will also be available at each voting station to ensure the process is as quick and efficient as possible.
Q: When will election results be available?
On October 18, 2010 voting stations close at 8 p.m. and election results will be released as the results from each polling station are processed.
Unofficial results will be posted live on the City’s website, in both graphical and text based format, and will be provided to media outlets as well. Typically, all results are in before 9 p.m. on Election Day.
The Returning Officer will release official election results at noon on October 22, 2010.
Q: If a ballot tabulator does not accept a ballot, what happens?
If a ballot tabulator does not accept a ballot, election staff will take the voter aside to explain what the concern is. In almost every case, the ballot has not been accepted due to an ‘overvote’ (voter selected too many candidates) or ‘blank ballot’ (voter selected no candidates). If the voter wishes to have a new ballot to mark, the original ballot will be marked ‘void’ and a new ballot will be issued.
Q: What happens if a ballot tabulator breaks down?
All ballot tabulators have been extensively pre-tested prior to use. In the unlikely event that a tabulator malfunctions, election staff will notify a technician who will immediately attempt to fix it. While the tabulator is inoperable, staff will use the second ballot tabulator. Note that tabulator malfunctions have no effect on the accurate tabulation of election results, as the memory cards remain intact.
Q: How will voter privacy be protected?
The confidentiality of the electoral process is a key consideration for the City. When a voter receives his or her ballot, it is inserted into a ‘secrecy sleeve’ and the voter goes behind a privacy screen to mark the ballot. Once completed, the ballot is placed back in the secrecy sleeve and inserted directly into the ballot tabulator. At no time do any other voters or election staff view the face of the completed ballot and the tabulator provides no information that would enable a person to determine how any particular voter marked his/her ballot.
Q: Is personal identification required to vote?
No, voters do not require personal identification to obtain a ballot. Each voter will be required to complete a prescribed form to attest to his/her eligibility to vote in the election.
Q: If a voter refuses to sign a Voting Register, can he or she still vote?
No, a voter must complete and sign a Voting Register prior to being issued a ballot. This register is a statement of the voter’s eligibility to receive a ballot and exposes the voter to the authority and potential enforcement of the election legislation.
Q: What if a voter votes more than once or otherwise tries to cheat the process?
Any attempt to contravene a local authorities election is treated very seriously. Current legislation calls for a fine of $10,000 and possible imprisonment for a period of six (6) months. Election officers, candidates, official agents, and scrutineers also monitor voting stations to watch for any irregularities.
Questions? Need more information?
Contact an election official at
election@st-albert.net or
780-459-1500.
