Elections Calgary

General Election FAQ

Below are frequently asked questions (FAQ) that Elections Calgary receives related to the General Election and correct, factual answers to those. The questions are grouped into three categories.

Election integrity and security

How are ballots counted?

In the 2025 General Election, all ballots will be hand counted by election workers in the voting station or the central counting centre. The counting of ballots can be observed by scrutineers (if present) at all locations.

On Election Day, election workers will start counting ballots after the voting stations close at 8 p.m. and the last elector in line has cast their ballot.

Ballots from the Advance Vote voting stations, special (mail-in) ballots, care facilities, hospitals, shelters and the Vote Bus will be counted at the central counting centre.

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Does it matter if I use a pen or pencil to mark my ballot?

A pencil is provided at the voting station for voters to mark their ballot. You are welcome to bring your own pen, marker or pencil to mark your ballot.

Pencils are provided because ink in pens or markers will dry up in storage between election events. 

Can I take a photo of my marked ballot?

No. To protect the secrecy of the vote, it is against the law to take a photo of a marked ballot. You may take a picture of yourself outside the voting station. 

Who is accountable for the integrity of the election?

The integrity of an election is a shared responsibility, with each participant playing a vital role in ensuring the fairness and legality of elections.

  • Local authorities (e.g. City of Calgary) communicate voting opportunities to the public, manage the election process, and ensure legislative compliance.
  • Political participants such as candidates, local political parties, slates and third party advertisers must represent themselves with transparency.
  • Scrutineers represent candidates in voting stations and observe the voting and counting process.
  • Election workers handle ballots with accuracy and fairness.
  • Electors contribute by casting their votes honestly and reporting any issues.

How will Elections Calgary ensure elections material (such as ballots) are secure?

Elections Calgary ensures all election materials, such as ballots and ballot boxes, are secure at every stage from production to distribution. Security measures include locked supply carts, consistent check-in/check-out procedures, and serial number tracking.

For more details, view the Life cycle of a ballot (PDF).

Who has access to the permanent electors register (electors register)?

The Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA), the provincial legislation governing municipal elections, requires that municipalities use a permanent electors register. A list of of eligible voters is provided to Elections Calgary by Elections Alberta. 

Together with ID, the electors register will be used to verify voter eligibility. The Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA) states that a candidate, official agent or scrutineer shall not access or use the permanent electors register, including, without limitation, taking a photograph or making a copy of the register.

Persons are entitled to have access to information in the register about themselves or about another person on whose behalf they are authorized to act, to determine whether the information is correct.

Who is responsible for preventing election fraud?

The Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA) (the Act) envisions a trust-based system of accountability that aims to strike a balance between accessible voting while providing reasonable safeguards to prevent election fraud and enable enforcement. 

Voters: Every voter has a legal obligation under the Act to vote once for each of the persons the voter choses to vote for [Act, sec. 57(1)] and meets all eligibility requirements to vote [Act, sec. 47(1)].

Returning Officer: The returning officer has no investigative or enforcement authority related to voter fraud under the Act. The returning officer communicates voting processes and offenses related to voter fraud to voters, election workers and candidates [Act, sec. 14(1)].

Candidates: Candidates may appoint one scrutineer in each voting station to observe the voting process [Act, sec. 69(1)] and can note ballots that require adjudication [Act, sec. 87(1)]. The returning officer shall note, in the elector register, the reason for the objection and the name of the candidate or official agent or scrutineer making the objection.

Calgary Police Service (CPS): The CPS investigates allegations that a candidate has signed a false affidavit on their Form 4 (Nomination Paper and Candidates Acceptance), or their Form 4 contains a false statement related to their qualification to hold office. Any information related to election fraud should be brought to their attention. The CPS also investigates allegations that a voter has signed a false statement on their Form 13 (Elector Register), or that they voted in the General Election despite being illegible.

Election Commissioner of Alberta: The Election Commissioner of Alberta investigates campaign finance and third party advertiser compliance.

What is prohibited in the Act?

Prohibitions are outlined in Section 148 of the Act and include signing a false statement for any purpose related to an election or vote and voting twice, among others.

How is election fraud investigated?

Election fraud is not common and is more likely to be accidental. Potential election fraud should be brought to the attention of the Calgary Police Service.

Elections Calgary cooperates with any election fraud investigations conducted by the Calgary Police Services or other enforcement agencies and related court proceedings.

What do I do if I suspect someone has committed an election offence?

If you suspect someone has committed an offence, contact Calgary Police Service non-emergency line: (403) 266-1234.

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Candidates, local political parties, slates and third party advertisers

What makes a candidate ineligible to run?

Please see information about becoming a candidate and candidate eligibility here.

Does a candidate have to be part of a local political party or can they be independent?

The Government of Alberta is piloting local political parties (LPPs) and slates in Calgary and Edmonton for the 2025 General Election. There is no requirement for a candidate to be endorsed by LPPs or be a member of a slate.

Learn what local political parties and slates are and their registration and legislative requirements.

How does the “local political party” system work for municipal elections? Are they elected as a whole or does an individual who wins one ward represent the whole party?

Candidates are elected individually for their respective wards regardless of whether they are endorsed by a local political party or not.

Local political parties are required to register with the returning officer of the local jurisdiction. As part of their registration, a local political party must provide a list of candidates who, if elected, would make up more than 1/3 of the council, including the chief elected official (Mayor), of the local jurisdiction. A candidate confirms their affiliation with a local political party through the formal nomination process which is separate from the local political party registration process. Confirmation from both the local political party and candidate is required before an endorsement is published on ElectionsCalgary.ca and printed on the ballot.

Where can we find candidate info?

A list of nominated (official) candidates is available along with many other voting resources on For voters. As well, this year, the Where Do I Vote tool includes the list of official candidates.

What are the rules around election signs?

In Calgary, all roadside campaign signs must comply with The City’s Temporary Signs on Highways Bylaw 29M97 (Section 8). If you have concerns about roadside campaign signs, please contact 311 or submit online. Damage to election signs is property damage and should be brought to the attention of the Calgary Police Service. Visit the For voters webpage for more information on election signs and campaigning.

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General

When can we expect unofficial results?

After ballots cast from each voting opportunity are hand counted by election officials, unofficial results are checked and required forms are completed. Then, unofficial results are entered into a system and posted to the unofficial results web page, as they become available.

Elections Calgary anticipates that all unofficial results for mayor, councillors, and public and separate school board trustees will be available the evening of Oct. 21, 2025.

Election Day - Monday, Oct. 20

Vote results Counting begins Availability of unofficial results
Election Day vote results for mayor, councillor and public and separate school board trustees from each Election Day voting station.

Counting begins at 8 p.m., and after all voters in line have had an opportunity to vote.

Counting is estimated to finish by midnight (12 a.m.), Oct. 20.

 Unofficial results will be available after completion of the count and required forms. 
Advance Vote results for mayor from each Advance Vote station.

Counting begins at 7:30 p.m.

Counting is estimated to finish by 1 a.m., Oct. 21.

 Unofficial results will be available after completion of count and required forms.
Mail-in ballot results for mayor. 

Mail-in ballot envelopes are opened and counted at 7:30 p.m.

Counting is estimated to finish by 1 a.m., Oct. 21.

 Unofficial results will be available after completion of count and required forms.

Tuesday, Oct. 21

Vote results Counting begins Availability of unofficial results
Advance Vote results for councillor from each Advance Vote station and mail-in ballots.

Set-up at 9 a.m. Counting begins at 10:30 a.m.

Counting is estimated to finish by 2:30 p.m.

 Unofficial results will be available after completion of count and required forms.
Advance Vote results for public and separate school board trustees for each Advance Vote station and mail-in ballots.

Counting begins at approximately 3 p.m., or at conclusion of councillor ballot count.

Counting is estimated to finish by 8 p.m.

 Unofficial results will be available after completion of count and required forms.

Official election results available at 12 p.m. (noon) on Oct. 24, 2025, after verification of unofficial results.

To learn how voting opportunities are reported on election night, visit Voting opportunities by contest.

 

Do I still get to vote if I'm in line at the close of the voting station?

Yes. If you’re in line to vote at the close of the voting station (7 p.m. during Advance Vote or 8 p.m. on Election Day), you will still have the opportunity to vote. An election worker will stand behind the last person in line to ensure that anyone in line at the close of the voting station has the opportunity to vote.

What if I need assistance with marking my ballots?

There are many opportunities to support persons requiring assistance to mark their ballots. Check out Accessible voting for more information.

I have feedback about my experience at the voting station.

Complete the online survey when you leave the voting station. Look for the QR code posted at exits. You can also contact Elections Calgary by email at elections@calgary.ca or call 403‑476‑4100.

How many workers does it take to staff the election? How many are full time and how many are short term for just the election?

For the 2025 General Election, approximately 4,500 temporary election workers will be required to support the Advance Vote and Election Day.

How much will the 2025 General Election cost?

The 2021 General Election cost was $8.4M. The actual cost of the 2025 General Election will be known and made public following the 2025 General Election in early 2026 as some costs are variable (e.g., number of election workers, postage and courier costs for mail-in ballots, printing and supplies).

Why is the 2025 General Election more costly than the 2021 General Election?

The majority of the new costs are a result of the requirement to count ballots by hand (e.g., additional voting stations, additional election workers, additional supplies) and requirement to use a Permanent Electors Register to verify voter eligibility. Incremental costs are also attributed to population growth from 2021 to present.

How are voting stations selected?

Stations have been carefully selected so that they are easy to access, whether driving, walking, cycling or taking transit. Each station serves a manageable number of voters, making the hand count easier. Voting stations are inspected to assess their physical accessibility and functional suitability. Where the pathway from an entrance to the voting room is not fully accessible, assistance and accommodations will be available.

A voting station in a care facility or shelter, also known as an institutional vote location, has eligibility set out in the Local Authorities Election Act which defines them as either a treatment centre or a supportive living facility. Every election, Elections Calgary reviews and assesses which facilities qualify for institutional voting. Alberta Health Services (AHS) provides a directory of continuing care facilities, which was used to develop the list of eligible care facilities for the 2025 General Election.

For more details, you can watch the video on What goes into selecting a voting station or review our Voting opportunities infographic (PDF).

Can a Permanent Resident vote in the 2021 General Election?

No. To vote in the 2025 General Election you must, on the day you choose to vote:

  • be at least 18 years old;
  • be a Canadian citizen;
  • reside in Alberta, and
  • in the city of Calgary, to vote for mayor,
  • in the ward, to vote for councillor,
  • in the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) jurisdiction ward for public school trustee voters,
  • in the Calgary Catholic School District (CCSD) jurisdiction ward for separate school trustee voters. A separate school trustee voter must also declare that they are of the same faith as the CCSD (Roman Catholic),
  • show one piece of the authorized pieces of ID. Make sure you know what ID is accepted at the voting station.

 

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On behalf of: