City prepares for fall election

Chestermere City Council passed the Municipal Election Bylaw at the regular meeting of Council March 6.
The bylaw, passed in accordance with the provincial Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA), details the election proceedings for the Chestermere municipal election that will take place on Monday Oct. 16, 2017.
Staff recommended the changes included in the bylaw to try and make this year’s election as efficient for election’s staff and user-friendly for residents and prospective candidates.
“We welcome any eligible resident to run in this year’s election,” said Chestermere’s Legislative Coordinator Jillian Borsuk.
Within the LAEA, municipalities are allowed to make minor adjustments on how an election is run based upon the unique conditions in the municipality.
In Chestermere, the election this year will be run much like previous elections with only a couple of changes.
This year, the city is introducing a special ballot process and a change to the number of resident signatures required on candidate nomination forms.
“Those changes were based on research that administration conducted,” said Borsuk.
“We did quite a lot of research,” she said.
With the passage of this new election bylaw, prospective candidates for council are now required to obtain 10 resident signatures, double the amount required from the last election.
Administration made this recommendation based upon the surge in population experienced by Chestermere since the last election.
The other change is the introduction of special ballots, commonly known as mail in ballots.
The inclusion of special ballots will benefit both voters and the city by making it easier for residents to vote which, it is hoped, will lead to a greater voter turnout.
“It’s really for people who can’t vote in any other way,” said Corporate Communications Strategist Megan Matthies.
This change comes after city staff received about a dozen requests for special ballots in the 2013 election.
To vote by special ballot, eligible voters must meet one of the following criteria: be absent from the city during voting hours, be physically incapacitated or be one of the election officials such as the returning officer.
The electronic voting machines will again be used this election. A newer model of the machines used in 2013 are planned to be used this year.
Now that the election bylaw is in place, city administration will focus on the preparatory work for this fall’s election.
Staff and council are encouraging anyone interested in local politics to run but suggest that all prospective candidates do their research first including attending council meetings and talking with current councilors about the requirements of the job.
“Running for council is a really great way to get involved in your community and provide input,” said Borsuk.
There are resources available for people interested in running in the election on both the city website and municipal affairs website.
“And staff are always available over the phone or in walk in to discuss with anyone who’s looking to run,” she said.
The full details of the Municipal Election Bylaw and the city’s Prospective Candidates Guide are available online at www.chestermere.ca.