The mood at polling stations across Calgary shifted from patient anticipation to visible frustration Monday night as residents faced unprecedented delays in a municipal election that will likely be remembered more for its technical failures than its results.
I spent the evening visiting several voting locations across the city, where lines snaked through hallways and out doors well past the scheduled 8 p.m. closing time. At the Thorncliffe Community Association, voters who had already waited over an hour shared stories of friends abandoning other polling stations altogether.
“I’ve voted in every election for 32 years and I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Margaret Blakely, 67, clutching her unmarked ballot as the clock approached 9:30 p.m. “But I’m not leaving until I cast my vote.”
The widespread delays stemmed from technical issues with electronic tabulators at multiple polling locations throughout Alberta. Calgary wasn’t alone – Edmonton and other municipalities reported similar problems, prompting officials to extend voting hours well into the night.
Elections Calgary initially downplayed the issues, citing “minor technical difficulties” around 7 p.m. But by 8:30, the situation had escalated enough that officials announced polls would remain open until everyone in line by 8 p.m. had the opportunity to vote.
Kate Thompson, Calgary’s returning officer, acknowledged the scope of the problems during an impromptu press conference. “We understand the frustration voters are experiencing and appreciate their patience,” Thompson said. “Every eligible voter who wants to cast a ballot will have that opportunity tonight.”
The problems appeared most acute with the tabulating machines meant to quickly process and count paper ballots. Several scrutineers told me that election workers eventually abandoned the machines at some locations, collecting ballots in secure boxes to be counted manually later – a throwback to earlier voting eras.
Provincial officials confirmed that the issues weren’t isolated to Calgary. Alberta Municipal Affairs issued a statement indicating the province was “closely monitoring” the situation, emphasizing that delays wouldn’t impact the validity of election results.
For many Calgary voters, the explanation offered little comfort.
“This is basic civic infrastructure,” said Naveed Ahmed, an IT professional who waited nearly two hours at the Marlborough Community Association. “We can land rovers on Mars, but we can’t get voting machines to work properly? It damages confidence in the system.”
The technical meltdown comes at a particularly sensitive time for Calgary’s electoral system. Voter turnout in the 2021 municipal election fell to just 46%, prompting concerns about civic engagement. Early indicators suggested this year’s turnout might have been higher – at least until the delays began discouraging voters.
City Councillor Sonya Sharp, who was monitoring the situation closely, expressed concerns about the impact on democratic participation. “Every barrier we put in front of voters, intentional or not, affects who gets represented in our local government,” Sharp noted in a phone interview. “People with limited childcare options or inflexible work schedules are disproportionately affected by these kinds of delays.”
By midnight, most polling stations had finally processed their remaining voters, though ballot counting was expected to continue well into the early morning hours. Final results will likely be delayed significantly as officials work through the backlog of paper ballots.
The election will determine dozens of crucial local government positions across the city, including school board trustees and various referendum questions that will impact Calgarians for years to come.
“The irony is that municipal elections affect our daily lives more directly than any other level of government,” political scientist Dr. Janet Wilson from Mount Royal University told me. “These are the officials determining everything from your property taxes to whether your street gets plowed in winter, yet these elections consistently receive the least technological investment and attention.”
As results slowly trickled in throughout the night, the conversation at most campaign headquarters shifted from candidates to process. Several campaign managers indicated they might formally question whether the delays had a substantive impact on final outcomes, particularly in races expected to be decided by narrow margins.
For now, Calgary voters and candidates alike must wait longer than expected to learn who will represent them in the coming term. The delays serve as a stark reminder that even in our technologically advanced society, the fundamental mechanics of democracy sometimes still break down.
I’ve covered a dozen municipal elections in this city, and while controversy and confusion aren’t uncommon, Monday’s widespread technical failures represent something more troubling: a basic infrastructure collapse that tests voters’ commitment to participation. The true impact of these delays won’t be measured in hours lost, but in how many Calgarians decide participating next time is simply too much trouble.
