Making every vote count

Unless someone has been living under a rock or has just moved to Alberta they know that the Municipal election is just around the corner.
With the election scheduled for Oct. 16, the staff at city hall have been hard at work preparing, with one of the most important steps being the hiring of Susan McMahon as Returning Officer.
Most people have heard of Returning Officers but might be hard pressed to define what role the position plays in a successful election.
“Our job is to administer an election according to the prevailing legislation,” said McMahon of her part in the municipal election.
This is her first time working a municipal election. She has been involved with both federal and provincial elections in the past.
Other than the public exercising their right to vote, the Returning Officer is the most important position to ensure a successful election.
And while some of the administrative work can be dull, McMahon said she really enjoys the work.
“It’s a really rewarding position to participate in the democratic process,” she said.
McMahon said that she feels very lucky to live in Canada and to be part of the democratic election process.
“How lucky are we that we live in a country that allows us to do this,” she said.
She also enjoys the challenges of the position.
“The job is very intense for a very short period of time but it’s very rewarding,” said McMahon.
Even though this is her first municipal election as Returning Officer, McMahon said that there are several similarities between the elections for the different levels of government.
Regardless of the level of government, the returning officer’s work is specified in legislation.
“I must be independent and impartial in every way during the performance of my duties as a Returning Officer,” she said.
For the municipal election, McMahon’s authority and duties are laid out in the Local Authorities Election Act.
“That tells me exactly what I’m allowed to do,” she said, “so I have no discretion on what I can do and what I can’t do.
“Everything I do I have to follow the legislation,”
The job of a returning officer starts almost as soon as candidates start campaigning.
McMahon is responsible for advertising nomination day and recording all of the nominations.
“I’m going to do that through the city of Chestermere,” she said.
This year nomination day is Monday Sept. 18 at city hall from 8:30 a.m. -12 p.m.
All candidates are required to register with McMahon on nomination day to run in the election.
“I sit in an office for four hours,” she said, “and I receive the nominations from the candidates.”
Once all the nominations are in McMahon will design, proof and print the ballots.
After nomination day, McMahon’s job splits into two main areas of focus; administering the election, including supervising the vote, and working to educate and monitor each candidates’ campaign.
This second part of her job is easier said than done. McMahon expects that between mayoral and council candidates that there could be close to 20 people running.
“The challenge that I think we’re going to have is that its going to be very busy,” she said.
After nomination day, there will be a meeting between McMahon and all of the candidates where she will outline both her roles and responsibilities and those of the candidates.
“I’m not sign police, I’m not going to run around and check up on the candidates,” she said.
“I inform them of what they’re allowed to do in terms of campaigning or what they’re allowed to do at the voting location,” said McMahon.
To ensure that every candidate gets the same information, McMahon plans to post the answers to all candidate questions online making sure everyone has the same access to information.
If there are as many official candidates as she is expecting, election day could be very crowded.
“I’m going to have to really monitor that closely,” she said.
According the legislation, each candidate is allowed to either be in the polling location or have a scrutineer or official agent there to represent them.
“If we have 20 candidates we could have 20 people hanging around the voting location the entire time,” she said.
“We have to make sure they don’t try to influence the vote, that they don’t try to breach the secrecy of the votes, that they don’t try to hinder the voting process in any way,” said McMahon.
She foresees that this could be challenging on election day.
“I have to make sure it goes smoothly,” she said, “and everybody is allowed to vote.
“We have to make sure that people who want to vote have an easy and pleasant time voting.”
Helping her make this happen on election day will be the polling station staff.
As returning officer, McMahon will be hiring and training the election workers and election day officials.
“Anybody who is going to be working at the polls, in whatever capacity, I’m responsible for those people,” she said.
She said that there are about 20 positions to fill for the Chestermere election. These positions include manning the two advance polls as well as election day.
“There may be more than 20 people hired but there’s 20 positions to fill,” said McMahon.
The Returning Officer is also responsible for finding an acceptable space for polling stations and ensuring they are set up and ready for the vote.
“That’s easy, we’re at the rec centre where all of the elections are held in Chestermere,” she said.
Slightly harder than picking the location will be making sure that everything needed at the polling station is ready.
“It’s my responsibility to make sure that everything that is required at the stations are there,” said McMahon.
“So ballots, other paperwork, pens, screens, tables, chairs, all the rest of that,” she said.
For more information about the municipal election go to www.chestermere.ca/146/Municipal-Election. To contact McMahon with questions either e-mail her at rtofficer@chestermere.ca or phone (587) 830-2842.