Calgarians deserve better. On election day, people waited in endless lines to cast a simple municipal ballot. Elderly citizens leaned on canes, workers lost paid hours and parents stood for more than an hour with tired children, all because the system that was supposed to serve them failed.

The media warned us in advance — ballots in Alberta municipalities would be counted by hand this year, and delays were “expected.” But expecting failure does not excuse it. When long waits are built into the design of an election it’s not a logistical mishap, it’s voter suppression by neglect.

Let’s be clear. Counting ballots by hand is not a crime against democracy, but it is not a badge of integrity, either. Manual counting may feel traditional or “safe,” yet it is neither more accurate nor more tru

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