Guiding the voting process

By Trevor Busch
Taber Times
tbusch@tabertimes.com

As voters weigh their choices for the approaching Oct. 16 municipal election, eligible citizens need to ensure they won’t be turned away from making that stride toward the ballot box.

Proof of identity and current residence is now required to be able to vote in municipal elections, but there is a wide variety of ways voters can prove who they are to the satisfaction of election workers.

“Voters are required to provide proof of their name, and it has to have their home address on it,” said Town of Taber returning officer Jeanne Rudolf. “It doesn’t have to be a picture ID, just anything with their home address and their name. That can be their driver’s license, utility bill, their tax notice, any type of utility bill that has their name and address on it, vehicle registration, a pension plan statement of benefits, or insurance policy. If they do not have that — if they’re a renter and they’re not getting a utility bill, then they can have their landlord write a note attesting to their place of residence, or a residential lease or mortgage — anything that has your name and address on it.”

Voting will be held on Monday, Oct. 16 at the Taber Community Centre Auditorium located at 4720 50th Street from 10:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. Advanced voting will occur in the White Room at the Taber Community Centre (B 4720 50th Street), on Oct. 11 from 4:00 p.m. until 8 p.m.

Incapacitated electors must make arrangements with Rudolf on or before Oct. 9 as part of the advance voting process.

“If there is an incapacitated elector, we are doing incapacitated elector voting at home, and they need to phone and book an appointment with me, and that will be done during those hours of advanced voting. For those people that are actually coming to vote, that are having difficulties, what I thought we would do instead of using the chair lift, we will just have a table up at the very top, just so that they don’t have to do stairs. If that is the case and someone is bringing them, when they get to the civic centre (Taber Community Centre Auditorium) then they can just come and see me at my table there — I will be there the entire time — and we will bring the ballot and the secret screen to them up top so that they don’t have to do stairs.”

The Town of Taber does not create a voter’s list, so there is no need to preregister. Voters can go directly to the voting station on the day of the election and sign a document verifying you meet the requirements to vote. Taber does not use a ward system, so councillors represent the Town of Taber as a whole. Election ballots are counted by hand by trained election workers.

“They (eligible voters) need to be at least 18 years of age and a Canadian citizen residing in Alberta for six consecutive months immediately proceeding election day, a resident of the Town of Taber on election day, and then of course provide authorized identification,” said Rudolf. “We want to ensure that we get out as many voters as we can. We’re doing advertising, there will be a portable sign put up, to just bring the electors in to vote their choice for who they want to represent them in the Town of Taber. My job is to ensure that the election is run smoothly, that we get all the advertising in place, so that we can see a great turnout for this year’s election. We’ve got 11 candidates that are really excited. We’re all excited, and the community has been really interested in what’s going on in the town.”

Unofficial results will be available late on election night, and will be posted on http://www.tabertimes.com.

“The unofficial results will be available once all the ballots are counted the night of Oct. 16,” said Rudolf. “And then at 12 p.m. on the fourth day following the election we announce and post a statement of the (official) results.”

Town of Taber Election Nominations 2017

Office of Mayor:

Andrew Prokop
Randy Sparks

Office of Councillor:

Garth Bekkering
Jack Brewin (incumbent)
Naomi Brewin-Wiebe
Carly Firth
Mark Garner
Bo Hatch
Kevin O’Grady
John Papp
Laura Ross-Giroux (incumbent)
Joe Strojwas (incumbent)
Louie Tams