Sonya Sharp, the second-place finisher in Calgary’s mayoral election, says she has officially requested a recount of the results.
“This request is about strengthening trust in the system,” Sharp wrote in a statement sent to media on Friday.
Sharp had previously said she would seek a recount in accordance with legislation, but it was unclear what route she’d choose to take under new rules introduced by the provincial government.
On Friday, Sharp wrote that she had formally requested the recount under the Local Authorities Election Act. That route was only available to Sharp after the city posted official results, which happened earlier in the day.
In requesting the recount, Sharp cited a councillor race in Ward sipiwiyiniwak that flipped after an Edmonton Elections recount.
In that case, an initial tally showed six votes separating Darrell Friesen from Thu Parmar. After a recount, Parmar finished ahead by more than 600 votes, with Edmonton Elections citing “administrative or technical errors.”
“This incident underscores why recounts are vital to maintaining public trust in elections. Calgarians deserve the same level of confidence that every vote is counted accurately and the process is beyond reproach,” Sharp wrote.
According to official results posted by the city, Jeromy Farkas was elected mayor with 91,071 votes compared to Sharp’s 90,490, a difference of 581.
Questions over recount procedure
Sharp wrote that regardless of the outcome, she was hopeful the experience would lead to meaningful updates to the Local Authorities Election Act, which has caused confusion as to how recounts are carried out.
“Elections across Alberta should be administered with consistent standards, clear procedures, and greater transparency that supports public confidence,” Sharp wrote.
Farkas and Sharp are separated by less than 0.5 per cent of the total number of ballots cast for mayor. Under election rules, Calgary’s returning officer can advance a recount if the first and second place candidates are separated by 0.5 per cent or less.
But Elections Calgary has said that doesn’t necessarily mean a citywide recount. Kate Martin, Calgary’s returning officer, said Tuesday that under the Local Authorities Election Act, the recount provisions apply to individual voting stations.
Alberta Municipal Affairs later clarified that the intent of the legislation is that recount thresholds are intended to be based on the total number of ballots cast, though returning officers are responsible for interpreting and applying the rules.
LISTEN | West of Centre panel breaks down major changes to municipal elections:
West of Centre39:00’It’s a real problem for democracy’
Calgary-based pollster Janet Brown said she viewed Sharp’s ask as reasonable.
“I think everybody spent the last couple of days poring over the policy and the legislation to see what it means,” Brown said.
“I do think it’s so close. The spirit of the law is that in a close election, you do a recount to make sure no mistakes were made.”
CBC News has reached out to Martin for comment.