Turnout for advance voting on Olympic bid tops 2013 election
Some early voters report problems with electronic tabulator machines
More than twice the number of Calgarians cast advance votes in the Olympic plebiscite than in the 2013 municipal election.
Advance polls for the Nov. 13 Olympic vote closed Wednesday at 8 p.m., and new numbers from the city show early voting eclipsed numbers from the 2013 election but were still behind advance ballots cast in the 2017 vote.
In 2013, only 22,410 Calgarians cast votes over seven days of advance voting.
Advance polls for the Olympic plebiscite were only open Tuesday and Wednesday, but the city’s numbers show a total of 54,442 people cast votes on whether to pursue a bid for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
But advance voting numbers for the Olympic vote were still well below totals in the 2017 Calgary municipal election, with 74,965 Calgarians casting early ballots, the city said.
A total of 18 advance vote locations were set up across Calgary for the plebiscite, while the city had 26 locations for the 2017 municipal election.
The non-binding Olympic vote asks Calgarians whether they are for or against Calgary hosting the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
Earlier this week, the city unveiled electronic tabulator machines to tally the plebiscite results.
But some early voters reported problems with the machines, noting that ballots were being rejected, which kept lineups of people waiting to cast their votes.
Calgarians go to the polls Nov. 13 to vote for or against hosting the 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
Those who will be away from Calgary on plebiscite day, as well as those who will be prevented from voting in person due to a physical incapacity, can request a mail-in ballot online, by calling 403-4764100, by faxing 403-476-4101, or by visiting the Elections and Census Office at 1103 55th Ave. N.E.
Requests for mail-in ballots must be received by noon on Nov. 13. Completed mail-in ballot packages must be received by the Elections and Census Office by 4 p.m. that day.
Voters must provide authorized identification at the voting station, such as an Alberta driver’s licence or an Alberta Identification Card that confirms their name and current residential address.
For more information on where to vote and what identification you will need to cast a ballot, visit vote2018.calgary.ca.