INNISFAIL – Early election fever in the town will hit another gear starting on New Year’s Day.
That is now the new legal day under provincial law a citizen in any Alberta community can declare himself a candidate for the upcoming municipal election this coming Oct. 18.
This issue was brought before town council at its regular meeting on Dec. 14. Council was asked by administration to approve an updated Election Bylaw. It was passed unanimously after three readings.
Heather Whymark, the town’s director of corporate services and the assigned returning officer for the 2021 municipal election, briefed council on the new changes to the Local Authorities Election Act, which lays out the rules and guidelines for Alberta municipal elections.
She said the big difference with this municipal election is that candidates can declare their nomination on Jan. 1, more than nine months before nomination day on Sept. 20. In previous municipal election campaigns candidates could only do so six weeks before voting day.
“We’ve never really been told why they did this,” said Whymark, adding the only other change for the coming election was the nomination day, which will now be Sept. 20, 28 days before the election. It used to be six weeks.
She said candidates can legally file papers as of Jan. 1, but as town hall will be closed due to the statutory holiday, candidates will have to wait until the first working day after.
After filing, candidates will be legally allowed to actively campaign through advertising, creating Facebook pages or websites, door knocking, distributing literature, and putting up election signs in designated areas of town.
Coun. Glen Carritt announced this fall in an advertisement in The Albertan that he intends to run for mayor in the 2021 municipal election but can only legally begin campaigning after filing the appropriate forms on Jan. 1 or after.
“Other people wanting that chair, it might be interesting to see how people come out also wanting their name out as much as his,” she said.
“I can see a little bit why they have extended it as it gives them more leeway time and there is not as much pressure,” said Whymark, adding she is expecting more names will ultimately be on the ballot for the 2021 municipal election.
“When an election comes up you had six weeks before to actually determine whether you wanted to run for council or not. That is not a lot of time. Now it is giving people, I believe, more time to consider whether they want to run for election or not.”
However, as far as election signage goes that’s an issue Whymark and other town officials are still working on. She said the election sign protocol is designed by each municipality, and that the local Election Sign Bylaw must be updated and brought back to council.
“Council has to decide whether we want signs up for nine months, or whether they are going to limit it to six months or three months. That is up to them,” said Whymark, acknowledging election signs have had a history of being problematic during past and much shorter campaigns. “We’ve spent a lot of time in six weeks picking them up where they are not supposed to be."
"We don’t want to deter it but we certainly need to ask if they want signs up in their community for nine months,” she said, adding she will soon bring back an updated sign bylaw for council to consider.
Mayor Jim Romane is one member of town council who is not that enthusiastic about seeing election signs go up 10 months before the upcoming election.
"I really don't want to see signs go up on January 1 for an October election but apparently you can do that now," said Romane. “Why January 1? Why nine months?”
As for his own electoral intentions the mayor is not yet saying whether he will seek reelection.
“January 1,” said the mayor on when he will announce whether he will seek reelection. “On January 1 I am going to tell you,” he added coyly and with a hearty laugh. “I will, I will.
“I have been talking to others to see if they are interested. That will be the deciding factor, who else is running,” he said, adding he’s giving the matter considerable thought. “Believe me, I will tell you New Year’s.”
