Changes to provincial legislation will likely mean additional costs and a lengthy delay in counting the council and school board trustee votes in the upcoming municipal election, Elections Calgary said Friday.

The legislative changes, introduced in Bill 20 in 2024 in an effort to “increase transparency in local elections,” include new requirements for a permanent electors to register and a ban on the use of electronic tabulators to count ballots.

The new rules mean election workers in Calgary will be required to count each ballot by hand on election night.

“The process is significantly different,” said Kate Martin, returning officer with Elections Calgary. “We will be working as efficiently as we can to deliver those results with integrity, but yes it will take some time.”

Elections

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