Calgary election recount denial sparks anger, potential court complaints
Two second-place council candidates are upset with Elections Calgary over its decision to deny their election recount requests.
Four requests were officially turned down on Thursday, but it's two especially-tight races that are the focus of candidate disappointment Friday.
In Ward 9, runner-up Naomi Withers says she had enough evidence in her request to warrant another look.
"This is about making sure the vote is counted," Withers told CTV News. "This must happen, regardless of the vote and which way it goes."
Withers lost to incumbent Gian-Carlo Carra by only 161 votes.
In a series of tweets, she alleges her scrutineers spotted issues with tabulator machines and with administration rules regarding vote observation.
She says the recount request process was a puzzling one.
"So there might actually have to be some process improvements with Elections Calgary back-and-forth when someone does request a recount, because I'm not a lawyer and I don't think many of us are," she said.
"We could come out and be off by 400 votes, and that's something our team is OK with."
According to the city, the Elections Calgary returning officer needs to determine there's been a technical or administrative error that would've impacted the vote in order to accept a recount request.
The officer may also initiate a recount on their own volition if they consider the number of rejected and objected-to ballots would have an effect on the results.
There is no recount process which is initiated because of a close vote result.
A statement from the city's communications teams says "in the case of the four recount requests made by candidates, and the returning officer’s own review of administrative and technical matters, there were no reasonable grounds to believe that the result of the count of votes was inaccurate."
In Ward 4, DJ Kelly disagrees.
Kelly lost to incumbent Sean Chu in another tight race, the two candidates separated by only 100 votes.
"The Local Authorities Elections Act as it is written gives the returning officer limited discretion and authority to conduct a recount," Kelly's statement to CTV News reads. "As a result, I will begin the process of requesting a judicial recount."
Recounts were also denied in Ward 3 and in the mayoral race.
Any runner up is eligible to file a complaint for a judicial review.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
NEW 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire': A crowd pleaser that turns it up to 11
Hot on the heels of last year's 'Godzilla Minus One' comes 'Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,' the first ever Academy Award winner in the giant reptile's decades-long film career.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.