Long lineups, complex voting procedures and challenges with new technology affected the voting experience for a significant number of Edmontonians during the 2025 municipal election, according to a newly-released interim post-election report.

The report, presented to the city’s audit committee Wednesday, outlines early findings from Edmonton Elections’ review of the October 2025 vote and identifies several areas for improvement ahead of the next municipal election in 2029.

While a majority of voters were able to cast ballots without major difficulty, the report suggests that changes driven by new provincial legislation — including the introduction of a permanent electors register and a shift to hand-counted ballots — contributed to delays and confusion at some voting stations.

“There were so many changes,” said Thu Parmar, one of the city councillors who reviewed the report at city hall on Wednesday.

“It wasn’t one change. It was one bill that came through, then one bill got amended, and so there were multiple changes leading up to that election day.”

About 60 per cent of voters surveyed said they completed the voting process in 30 minutes or less, and 83 per cent finished within an hour.

However, 16 per cent reported waiting longer than an hour, with longer wait times strongly linked to lower satisfaction.

Overall, 63 per cent of Edmonton voters said they were satisfied with their experience, the report said.

2:12
Some Alberta voters ‘walk away’ from municipal election lineups

Satisfaction dropped sharply amongst those who waited more than an hour: dropping to 24 per cent for waits of one to two hours and just 14 per cent for waits exceeding two hours.

“Edmontonians were very committed to voting,” said Ward Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi councillor Jon Morgan. “I did hear about long lines during the election, upwards of two hours… but I also heard they were committed to seeing it through.

“So I’m pretty proud of that fact — for Edmontonians to be that committed to it, but, I can understand their frustrations.”

Voters and election workers both pointed to complexity in voting process as a key source of their frustration.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Fifteen per cent of surveyed voters reported difficulties with forms, verification steps and multi-station workflows — particularly in situations where they needed to be added to or updated on the new permanent electors register.

Those more complex transactions often slowed voting lines, the report said, contributing to bottlenecks during peak periods at some polling locations.

2:02
Slow results and long lines in 2025 Edmonton election

The changes this year prohibited the use of electronic vote tabulators and instead required all ballots to be counted by hand, increasing the number of ballots and ballot boxes used at each voting station.

“I would definitely like to see a return to our tabulators,” said Morgan, who was elected to city council back in October. “That would be a big help for our election team and for the safety and security of our elections.”

Several boxes of ballots had to be re-counted by hand during the election, delaying the release of the results. Morgan said using paper ballots and people counting introduces room for error.

“We should be using the tools that are proven to make sure that our elections are fair and free.”

The 2025 election marked the first time Edmonton was required to use a permanent electors register, following amendments to Alberta’s Local Authorities Election Act.

To support the permanent register, Edmonton Elections deployed an electronic elector register at voting stations. While the system allowed for real-time updates and added security protections, it also posed challenges for some people hired to work the polls.

Election workers were surveyed and 22 per cent said the technology was difficult to use, while nine per cent reported technical issues during their shift.

They also reported difficulty completing required paperwork, including ballot accounting forms, with 22 per cent saying those procedures were hard to complete.

“There is so much more work to this election than there has been in the past,” Parmar said.

During the election, residents voted for mayor, their city councillor, and school trustee and instead of one electronic ballot with all their names on it, the 2025 election saw it split up.

“In this sense, it was actually three separate votes. So that created more time,” Parmar said of the workers having to physically doll out the three different sheets of paper.

“That may not have been factored when you were looking at how many people you were going to hire.”

1:29
Long municipal election lines in Alberta after legislation changes

The report notes while accurate ballot accounting is essential to election integrity, some workers felt the complexity of the process limited their ability to serve voters efficiently — especially during busy periods such as the early evening when people got off work and went to vote.

Gaps in training were another contributing factor.

More than 5,400 election workers were hired to staff the election, filling more than 6,600 positions. While most workers completed mandatory online and in-person training, feedback suggested more hands-on training would have helped workers navigate the new systems and forms more confidently.

To address concerns raised during advance voting, Edmonton Elections offered additional hands-on training for supervisors.

Those who took part said it improved confidence and effectiveness, but the opportunity to take part could not be extended to all workers due to time and capacity constraints.

“I think what we heard very clearly was that it’s very difficult to train 5,000 people for one day, right? And I think to give some grace to that, what we saw was that the checks and balances did work.”

1:51
Albertans to elect municipal governments Monday in what’s been dubbed a ‘meh’ election

In a separate advisory report, the city auditor echoed many of the same concerns, noting observations on election day revealed frustrations amongst both voters and staff — largely tied to system challenges and form completion.

The auditor’s office had one main suggestion: Edmonton Elections consider a more comprehensive, hands-on training approach for future elections to reduce voter frustration and operational risk.

Parmar said she’s looking forward to seeing an action plan.

“What are they actually going to do to make sure that we can have higher voter turnout, that we can have a service level that is definitely not over one hour to be able to vote?

“That is not what Edmontonians expect, it’s not what I expect, it’s not what council expects and so we’ll be looking at that.”

Despite the challenges, the auditor reported Edmonton Elections addressed all significant findings before and during the election, and issues identified during ballot reconciliation did not affect election results.

&copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

The final game before the Olympics break for the Montreal Canadiens was in Winnipeg, 21 days before the next contest, so the Canadiens wanted to finish on a high.

The Jets are at the bottom of the standings, but playing better recently. After a weak first 10 minutes, the Canadiens rolled to a 5-1 win.

Wilde Horses 

It’s truly hard to believe that Lane Hutson did not make the USA Olympic team. The statistics in his favour could not be more convincing. When Hutson took a pass from Josh Anderson, streaked toward the goal and roofed it from inside three feet, it was his 10th goal of the season.

Goals are far from his specialty, but he’s  top 15 in the league in that category. Assists are where he shines, and in that discipline, Hutson is second behind only Quinn Hughes with 48 on the season.

In points, Hutson is at a sparkling 58 points in 57 games. He’s blowing away his rookie season of 66 points. Hutson is third in the league among defenders in points.

The counterargument to his inclusion for the Olympics is that there are two sides to the ice, and it’s imperative that a defender can also take care around his own goalie.

Hutson is a plus-21 on the season. He is 12th in the entire league. It’s easy to doubt that the man who made the choices Bill Guerin is not an analytics lover, but if he were, Hutson is 19th in the NHL in Corsi. There simply is not a single metric where Hutson is not elite. That is, except his height where he is listed as five-feet-nine-inches tall.

If Hutson could practice being taller, he would be seven feet by the morning.

The Canadiens got off to a horrible start. They were dominated by the Jets, but Samuel Montembeault was strong in the first period. Impressive from Montembeault, considering he hadn’t played in 11 days.

If not for Montembeault being strong early, it could have been a vastly different night. Montembeault stopped 36 of 37 on the night.

Get daily National news

Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

His excellence allowed the Canadiens to find their game eventually. Oliver Kapanen had a goal-scorer’s touch for his 18th of the year. If Kapanen would have panicked, he would have simply whacked it in the goalie’s pads. However, he calmly curled the puck away from Connor Hellebuyck, backed out of the melee, and then flipped it upstairs for what looked like an easy marker, but wasn’t.

The Phillip Danault, Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher line had a strong contest. Anderson set up Hutson, and he scored himself on a deflection for his 12th of the year.

Gallagher had two helpers early, and then he wrapped up the game midway through the third with a tap in tally on a gorgeous pass from Kirby Dach.

Dach certainly has his patterns. Every time it starts to feel like he is done, he rises up, and then when he looks like he could find stardom after all, he breaks something. There’s an outstanding player in there somewhere, if he could only stay healthy enough to keep his momentum going.

Wilde Goats 

For the first time this season, the Canadiens are 15 games over NHL .500. They have played 57 times and have lost in regulation only 17 games. That’s a lot of entertainment for the long-suffering best fans in hockey.

Before last season, oddsmakers in Las Vegas set the Canadiens over/under for 75 points. They finished with 91. This season, the oddsmakers set the line at 91 points. They are on pace for 104 points. Montreal is eighth in the entire league.

No goats for this level of excellence heading into the break.

Wilde Cards

As expected, the trading deadline in the NHL passed with no trades for the Canadiens. The Olympics trade embargo will be in effect until Feb. 22.

There was only one trade on the final day. Rumour was the New York Rangers were asking the San Jose Sharks for Will Smith, or the Washington Capitals for Ryan Leonard in order to release Artemi Panarin.

What the Rangers got was considerably less, quite naturally. Asking for one of the great young players in the league in return for a 34-year-old making over $11 million is laughably inept. The Rangers are in for a long rebuild, if GM Chris Drury thought that was gonna fly.

The Rangers acquired Liam Greentree instead. He is a mid-level prospect who is in his fourth season at the Windsor Spitfires.

The Canadiens were not in the running for Panarin. An aging player, on the clock, isn’t what a club early in their rebuild needs, unless that player is Sidney Crosby.

The only Montreal rumour taking flight, and it makes sense as logical, is Patrik Laine could be on the move with the Canadiens keeping salary to facilitate the trade. Laine has been wearing a contact jersey at practice for the last two weeks. He is ready to play as soon as the Canadiens want him to.

Apparently, they don’t want him to.

The Canadiens rebuild has gone so well they didn’t envision that they would already want some salary cap space to add more talent to a winning hockey team.

One factor that isn’t being considered is that Laine was not healthy for his entire time in Montreal, playing on a bad knee that he hurt at his first training camp. Laine is now healthy, and he does look faster as he continues to skate with the club. However, now Laine can’t win a chance to prove himself that, if healthy, he can be better.

It doesn’t seem illogical to give Laine another look to see if he can provide more. There’s no downside to playing him, considering the Canadiens are attempting to unload him with no return, and paying half of his salary.

The worst that can happen is he plays poorly. That’s great news for the club that picks him up trying to lose more games for a higher draft pick.

To be continued. But not until after the Olympics when trades will be allowed until March 6.

Brian Wilde, a Montreal-based sports writer, brings you Call of the Wilde on globalnews.ca after each Canadiens game.

4:52
Call of the Wilde: Habs beat the Avalanche 7-3

Previous Video

Next Video

&copy 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

• 

• 32 Thoughts: The Podcast

  Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.

  Latest episode

A kitten spotted in the cold, hiding under a deck, began to change when he was given a chance to become a house cat.

Whiskers-a-GoGo

Leanne, a dedicated volunteer with Whiskers-a-GoGo, was on a rescue mission to help a colony of cats living in a neighbor’s backyard.

With freezing temperatures setting in, a black-and-white kitten had taken shelter under the deck with his two siblings. Leanne and her team set humane traps near a small opening in the fence, using food to coax the kittens to safety.

“Finally, they found their courage (and hunger) and ventured into the yard with the traps,” Leanne told Love Meow.

Whiskers-a-GoGo

The kittens were terrified, hissing and growling as they tried to protect themselves the only way they knew how. On the drive to the spay/neuter clinic, their hisses faded, replaced by tiny, tentative meows. Leanne knew immediately that these kittens had potential and deserved a chance.

The little one with cow-like markings was especially displeased, unaware that everything was about to change for the better.

Whiskers-a-GoGo

When Delilah, a foster volunteer, met the kitten, she was instantly smitten. “He is so rotund and cute and looks like a Beanie Baby. I decided to give him the most ridiculous, reactionary name ever: Gosh Darnit,” Delilah told Love Meow.

To begin socializing him, Delilah gently wrapped him in a towel and held him close. His eyes darted nervously, his heart pounding out of his chest, but soon, his defenses began to soften.

Whiskers-a-GoGo

Working through the initial squirming and hissing turned out to be much easier than expected. “I would put him in a burrito and sing to him very cheesy 1980s rock songs. I think singing helped him relax and get more acquainted with humans.”

A steady stream of kisses, cuddles, and treats did the trick. Within a few days, he was completely won over.

Whiskers-a-GoGo

Once he realized he was safe and that his foster mom was kind, his true personality began to shine. He explored his surroundings, claiming everything he touched. Curious, he wanted to be part of whatever was happening.

“Nothing seems to faze him now, and I can’t even remember him being scared or grouchy when I think of him.”

Whiskers-a-GoGo

While the kittens continued to thrive in foster care, the adult cats were spayed or neutered and returned to the backyard they had called home. They now have access to a heated shelter and a dedicated caretaker who ensures they are fed and safe.

No longer the hissy little jalapeno he once was, Gosh Darnit transformed into a tiny supervisor. He perched on the piano keys, as if offering himself as a muse or insisting on being involved in the creative process.

Whiskers-a-GoGo

As his confidence grew, so did his voice. Even as a small kitten, he was chatty and loud, announcing his presence wherever he went. “I never had trouble finding him because he loves making his presence known.”

“He’s a perfect cat. His only ‘flaw’ is his love of playing ‘broken neck’ when he sleeps.”

Whiskers-a-GoGo

When it came time for adoption, Gosh Darnit didn’t have to wait long to find his perfect match. “We had more than a dozen applications for this little grouch,” Leanne shared.

“He’s doing really well in his new home and gets along beautifully with his new sibling.”

Whiskers-a-GoGo

Thanks to the tireless efforts of the volunteers, the kittens were given a second chance at life. They will never again face the cold or spend another day outdoors. Their future is bright, filled with warmth, comfort, and love.

The moment Gosh Darnit spotted a big, soft blanket in his new home, he hopped onto the bed and claimed it as his own.

Whiskers-a-GoGo

Share this story with your friends. More cats and kittens at Whiskers-a-GoGo on Instagram @whiskers_agogo and Facebook.

Related story: They Bring in a Litter of Kittens and Notice One is Extra Small, Turns Out the Tiny Cat Needs Special Help

Multiple police forces in Quebec and New Brunswick are conducting a series of raids Wednesday targeting a criminal organization with links to the Hells Angels, according to the Sûreté du Québec.

The Quebec provincial police force said in a release that more than 160 officers have been working since early in the morning in municipalities in both provinces.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

“The ongoing investigation demonstrates that the organization in question is active in cocaine distribution and territory management for the benefit of the Hells Angels of the various chapters in Quebec,” the release added.

“The results of this operation will follow in the coming days.”

The operation is a collaboration between Escouade régionale mixte (ERM) Rive-Nord — a specialized Quebec police unit that targets organized crime — and the National Organized Crime Enforcement Squad (ENRCO), along with RCMP and local municipal forces.

Shakur Stevenson has reacted to the news that he has been stripped of his WBC Lightweight World title.

The 28-year-old pound-for-pound star moved up to super-lightweight this past weekend to relieve Teofimo Lopez of his WBO belt, putting in a truly exceptional performance to win almost every round on the scorecards.

Moving back down to lightweight is an option for the now four-division world champion, but if he does so, he will not be a champion there. In a statement released today, the WBC announced that the title Stevenson won back in November of 2023 has now been declared vacant.

“In light of Champion Stevenson now being the reigning WBO Super Lightweight World Champion and consistent with the WBC Rules & Regulations, the WBC has declared vacant its Lightweight World title.

“The WBC wishes Champion Stevenson continued success in all his future endeavors, both inside and outside the ring.

“The WBC will provide further information regarding the process to crown a new Lightweight World Champion in the near future.”

Despite the well wishes, Stevenson did not take the decision kindly. Responding on social media shortly after the announcement, he said:

“And I just paid these dudes after my last fight… What the hell [am I] giving y’all 100k right now for? Because y’all got beef with Bud so come at me for it.”

“100k to some crooks who don’t deserve it? Nah Leilani I rather give it to you baby girl… The WBC didn’t even have s–t to do with this fight and it’s eating them alive. Take your belt it don’t make me.”

Stevenson refers to the WBC’s recent run-in with Terence Crawford – a close friend, mentor and training partner – who was stripped of his own green and gold super-middleweight belt for, according to the sanctioning body, not paying the relevant fees. Crawford, who had won the title alongside the three other major straps by beating Canelo Alvarez, retired shortly after, but not before delivering a scathing rant on the WBC.

Stevenson’s next move remains up in the air, though pushing for another title with the World Boxing Council may be out of the question.

Today, weather-wise, has been unspeakable – sleet, a freezing gale force wind, and we are all very miserable and bored of this.  Apparently Shetland has been stuck in a bad weather system for a while now.

So, Daisy and I decided to get everyone inside for a rest from this.  A Duvet Day, if you will.

No one needed asking twice.  The Shetland ponies were straight in and with no mucking around either about which stall to go in.  Oh, no. In they went and waited quietly while Daisy took Tiddles’ rug off.

Silver was a white/grey pony before he rolled.

But the ponies are happy and eating unlimited hay to their hearts’ content.

Then it was the turn of the old folk.  Straight in, no questions asked and, again, waiting patiently while I undid all their rugs without rolling first, which grosses me out (I have a thing about wet sand).

It is the first time anyone has had their rug off for many weeks and it was good to see a) how well they looked and b) how perfectly dry they all were.

And lastly, the old ladies trotted enthusaistically in, once Daisy had been to catch them because they were determined to wait by their bowls rather than follow the others like they should’ve.

Again, nice and dry and also looking rather good for the time of year. I am pleased.

The sheep are also having a Duvet Day.

They don’t believe in going outside and quite honestly, I don’t blame them.

Daisy and I went back to the big shed after lunch to find everyone was just fine (and had poo’ed a lot).  Seeing Waffle having a snooze was exactly what I wanted.  It is important that everyone has a rest from the weather and relaxes for 24 hours.

I am intending to throw them all out tomorrow as it should’ve thawed considerably by then and normal service can then resume.

The government of the Northwest Territories said some water fixtures at Paul William Kaeser High School and Joseph Burr Tyrrell Elementary School were affected.

Water fixtures with elevated lead levels now out of service

Carson Asmundson · CBC News · Posted: Feb 04, 2026 8:17 PM EST | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Listen to this article

Estimated 1 minute

The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.

The government of the Northwest Territories says it has received water testing results from two Fort Smith schools and found elevated lead levels in some water fixtures.

In a news release Wednesday afternoon, the N.W.T. government said some fixtures at Paul William Kaeser High School and Joseph Burr Tyrrell Elementary School were affected.

The results are part of the government’s promise to test drinking water in every school in the territory.

Those fixtures found to have elevated lead levels are now out of service, with an alternative water source to be provided.

The government confirmed it will be taking remediation measures and complete follow-up testing at the schools.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carson is the social media editor for CBC North. He joined CBC in 2023.

An Alberta junior hockey team is set to take the ice this weekend for a memorial game honouring three of its players who died in a highway crash.

The Southern Alberta Mustangs are set to take on the Stavely Spurs Alumni team Sunday night at the arena in Stavely.

It’s one of several fundraisers started since the crash Monday in the small town south of Calgary.

JJ Wright and Cameron Casorso, both 18, from Kamloops, B.C., and Caden Fine, 17, from Alabama, were heading to a Mustangs practice and crossing a highway when their car collided with a semi truck hauling gravel.

WATCH | Towns of Stavely, Nanton mourn loss of 3 teen hockey players:

An ‘immense loss’: communities mourn 3 teens killed on Alberta highway

The small towns of Stavely and Nanton are mourning the teens’ deaths, while the RCMP say it’s unlikely the driver of the semi involved in the crash will face charges.

The team plays in the U.S. Premier Hockey League’s Premier Division.

“We’re really hoping to maximize that amount of money that we can get to Caden’s family to help relieve any financial burden that they may be facing right now,” said Savannah Rumsey, general manager of the University of Alabama’s men’s ice hockey team.

Nicknamed the Alabama Frozen Tide, the team is auctioning off nearly two dozen specialty jerseys for the Fine family. A portion of ticket sales from its game on Saturday is also going to the family.

The Cremona Coyotes senior hockey team in Alberta, where Wright played a pre-season game last fall, said ticket sales from its next home game will be donated to the families of the Mustangs who died.

By Wednesday afternoon, donations to a GoFundMe page for the three families had nearly reached its $50,000 goal.

“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for standing with us,” the Mustangs said in a Facebook post Wednesday after getting video messages from members of Edmonton Oilers.

“The Oilers took time to send personal messages to our team, reminding our players, families, staff and community that the hockey world stands together — especially in moments like these,” said the post.

“Their words mean more than we can ever fully express, and we are beyond grateful for their compassion and support.”

January 31, 2026

This baby goat must have suffered a head injury but we have no idea how.

She was found in the road, unable to stand, and neighbors lifted her to a safe spot on their verandah. Sometimes shepherds will leave an injured kid to die rather than to seek treatment. This must have been the sad case with Marshmallow. Luckily, the villagers knew about Animal Aid, and called us to rescue her.

She had no visible wounds, but she couldn’t lift her head at first. We treated Marshmallow for pain, hydrated her with an IV drip, and lay her down in a cozy secure little spot knowing that rest was essential. Within hours, her appetite roared (as goats love to nibble almost constantly.) Up she sat and began to munch on grass. Meet Marshmallow now, an authentic living angel. To meet Snow is simply to fall in love.