Alberta towns, villages and cities push for tabulator option in local votes

Alberta towns, villages and cities push for tabulator option in local votes RED DEER, Alta. — Alberta municipal leaders are calling for the provincial government to reverse its ban on vote counting machines, saying it’s more costly and time-consuming to count by hand. Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press Sep 26, 2024 4:41 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Alberta Premier Danielle Smith speaks during a press conference in Edmonton on Wednesday, April 10, 2024.

Alberta municipal leaders are calling for the provincial government to reverse its plan to ban on vote counting machines, saying it's more costly and time consuming to count by hand. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson. RED DEER, Alta.

— Alberta municipal leaders are calling for the provincial government to reverse its ban on vote counting machines, saying it’s more costly and time-consuming to count by hand. However, Premier Danielle Smith told reporters at the Alberta Municipalities convention in Red Deer on Thursday that electronic tabulators have failed to produce faster results and confidence in them. "We're going to go back to doing things the old-fashioned way, and we'll see how it works," said Smith.

The premier said the province has asked municipalities for a tally of the costs so it can help cover them, and estimated about 30 municipalities use tabulators. Last year, members of Smith’s United Conservative Party voted overwhelmingly to ban ballot-cou.