[GDT] YYC Votes 2025

[Table 5]

I know it's easy to judge from this side, but I was watching the lady at the table sloooowly rip out a single ballot for mayor from their little perforated notebook, then slowly fold it, then initial it... and then repeat the whole thing two more times for the council and trustee ballots. It was painstakingly slow, and I remember thinking they could've saved themselves atleast 1 min. per person if they had a stack of pre-folded/initialled ballots ready to go at the start.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

This just makes zero sense. They have the information. It's been verified to be correct. Now you've made someone write it all down again, potentially introducing errors, so someone else can take the paper form later, look up your info that is already confirmed correct, and see if they spot a difference? WTF are they even doing?


If you come up with such a massive waste of everyone's time and money, you should immediately be fired. I don't care who did it. Everyone involved top to bottom who had approval powers for this stupid process, fire them all. #### me.

I'm assuming the form was/is for tracking people who could have voted twice. The way it was set up with 4 or 5 or 6 tables for check-in and each table having the same list of voters could have introduced a situation where someone registers at one table and returns later on and registers at a different table. In theory it could be easier to fill out those forms, scan them, run them through some AI software and catch any duplicate forms as compared with trying to cross reference each of the voter lists. Of course this whole process wouldn't do much for the vote count of you can't actually pull any duplicate ballots cast from the boxes.

[sketchyt]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I know it's easy to judge from this side, but I was watching the lady at the table sloooowly rip out a single ballot for mayor from their little perforated notebook, then slowly fold it, then initial it... and then repeat the whole thing two more times for the council and trustee ballots. It was painstakingly slow, and I remember thinking they could've saved themselves atleast 1 min. per person if they had a stack of pre-folded/initialled ballots ready to go at the start.

The worst part was watching voters take this as a socializing event and spend minutes (which felt like hours) asking way too many questions, not be prepared (watched a guy debate why he needed to bring his license when he forgot. I hope he walked), can't comprehend basic instructions, etc...

[Point Blank]

So with all these added “security” measures, UCP still didn’t get their guy. So I guess that means more “security” measures for the provincial elections?

I’m ready to vote on stone tablets. We’ll be the securest of them all.

[Suave]

Originally Posted by Point Blank

So with all these added “security” measures, UCP still didn’t get their guy. So I guess that means more “security” measures for the provincial elections?

I’m ready to vote on stone tablets. We’ll be the securest of them all.

Already on it.

Braid: UCP will decide who can run for office next time; only the "serious" allowed

[puffnstuff]

This may have been posted already but it makes me laugh

https://bsky.app/profile/cmcalgary.b.../3m3nxnuxsq22b

[Johnny Makarov]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

It's actually sort of funny hearing people (and Sharpe) talk about this place like there's some crisis going on here, having just spent a lot of the last 6 months going back and forth between here and the lower mainland. This place is so unbelievably functional by comparison. Yes, there are things that need to be improved and directions that need to change. No, the sky is not falling.

Well can you blame us? you have Pierre Polliever yelling that we are getting mascaraed in our streets every day because of failing Liberal policies... hahahahahaha

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

I'm assuming the form was/is for tracking people who could have voted twice. The way it was set up with 4 or 5 or 6 tables for check-in and each table having the same list of voters could have introduced a situation where someone registers at one table and returns later on and registers at a different table. In theory it could be easier to fill out those forms, scan them, run them through some AI software and catch any duplicate forms as compared with trying to cross reference each of the voter lists. Of course this whole process wouldn't do much for the vote count of you can't actually pull any duplicate ballots cast from the boxes.

This is ridiculous. Nobody is doing this. It's against the law. This is the same kind of brain dead logic and reasoning that got us to this stupid process we have to suffer through now, because some moron brought up the spectre of people voting more than once and our premier deep throated the thought all the way to stupid town. Why? Because right wing dillholes have used the same tactic in the States to question results. And it works, because people think it's a thing that happens regularly. It doesn't.


There's no evidence of widespread multiple voting ever in Canada. I think the last guy who tried this said he was 'testing the system" and he got caught, so the system works. It doesn't need spanners thrown in the gears ever time David Parker decides to take a ####.


In theory it's easier to not elect politicians who inflict their stupidity on the rest of us, but I guess that is bound to remain just a theory.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

It's actually sort of funny hearing people (and Sharpe) talk about this place like there's some crisis going on here, having just spent a lot of the last 6 months going back and forth between here and the lower mainland. This place is so unbelievably functional by comparison. Yes, there are things that need to be improved and directions that need to change. No, the sky is not falling.

People don’t vote based on comparisons with other cities - they vote based on comparisons with their own city 5 or 10 years ago. Given how badly incumbents were destroyed (most could see the writing on the wall and didn’t even run), the electorate in Calgary feel the city has gotten worse.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by puffnstuff

This may have been posted already but it makes me laugh

https://bsky.app/profile/cmcalgary.b.../3m3nxnuxsq22b

If you are going to post a classic David Staples self own, you gotta point that out so people click.

[PaperBagger'14]

Ferguson with an 83 vote lead now in ward 12, I really hope she holds on.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

This is ridiculous. Nobody is doing this. It's against the law. This is the same kind of brain dead logic and reasoning that got us to this stupid process we have to suffer through now, because some moron brought up the spectre of people voting more than once and our premier deep throated the thought all the way to stupid town. Why? Because right wing dillholes have used the same tactic in the States to question results. And it works, because people think it's a thing that happens regularly. It doesn't.


There's no evidence of widespread multiple voting ever in Canada. I think the last guy who tried this said he was 'testing the system" and he got caught, so the system works. It doesn't need spanners thrown in the gears ever time David Parker decides to take a ####.


In theory it's easier to not elect politicians who inflict their stupidity on the rest of us, but I guess that is bound to remain just a theory.

If nobody broke the law, as you suggest, we wouldn't need processes in place at all. Just hand everyone who walks through the door a ballot and voting would take 15 seconds.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I know it's easy to judge from this side, but I was watching the lady at the table sloooowly rip out a single ballot for mayor from their little perforated notebook, then slowly fold it, then initial it... and then repeat the whole thing two more times for the council and trustee ballots. It was painstakingly slow, and I remember thinking they could've saved themselves atleast 1 min. per person if they had a stack of pre-folded/initialled ballots ready to go at the start.

The whole vibe was painfully slow, moreso than I can remember in the past.

The funniest was a woman who rolled up to a voting booth in her wheelchair, pulled out her phone, and then spent a full 10 minutes presumably researching each of the candidates.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

People don’t vote based on comparisons with other cities - they vote based on comparisons with their own city 5 or 10 years ago. Given how badly incumbents were destroyed (most could see the writing on the wall and didn’t even run), the electorate in Calgary feel the city has gotten worse.

I know. I'm saying I have a very different perspective given that I've spent so much time in another large Canadian city, and come away with the view that I don't really understand how anyone actually can live and work there full time at this point. At least, that's true of most of the lower mainland.

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

If nobody broke the law, as you suggest, we wouldn't need processes in place at all. Just hand everyone who walks through the door a ballot and voting would take 15 seconds.

We don't, really. If we handed everyone who walked through the door a ballot, we'd probably be fine. There would be the possibility of a few a-holes messing up the system if they were certain that there was no chance of any repercussions from them being a-holes, which is why the most reasonable standard is only slightly above "hand everyone who walks through the door a ballot", and why voting should take about 60 seconds rather than 15.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by Firebot

Claiming that Theissen cost Gondek the election instead of her losing the incumbency on her own merits is indeed weird to me as an excuse for her loss

Well, vote splitting played a pretty big party in this election for several candidates for mayor and council. I think you’d be pretty hard pressed to argue it didn’t, but you’re saying it isn’t a thing? Interesting.

I think saying that vote splitting had no impact on Gondek, Sharp, or even Farkas is about as valid as saying it was the only reason Gondek or Sharp lost.

Originally Posted by Firebot

Note I didn't bash or question someone voting for Gondek

No?

Originally Posted by Firebot

Gondek wasn't being voted in this election because she had a good message and deserved another term, she was just not someone else less liked.

…

If she was a good mayor, none of this discussion would even had happened.

Originally Posted by Firebot

It's like some simply don't want to admit she was a very mediocre mayor at best. She was deeply unpopular and the best people could say about her tenure was she was 'meh' or 'fine'

…

Had she been considered a good mayor, she would have won in a landslide

…

I really, really don't get this weird level of excusing of her poor performance.

Maybe you were too busy “setting up your grandstanding virtue” whatever or didn’t notice when building your “a bit… cringey and embarrassing” post, or maybe you just struggle with the concept, but some people did think she was a good mayor, did have good things to say about her tenure beyond the “meh” or fine,” weren’t trying to “excuse” her poor performance and did, in fact, vote FOR her.

Maybe they were right and you (and I) were wrong about Gondek. Could be. End of the day it’s just a different opinion one that can be argued fairly with some pretty valid points (which people have offered up plenty over the past few months). So much so, that the suggestion that nobody voted FOR her, or that these opinions were just based on being afraid to admit she wasn’t good, or that they’re just trying to excuse a poor performance, is entirely silly and easily discarded by anyone with half a brain.

I respect people that voted for and supported Gondek. Wasn’t my choice, but I wouldn’t have been mad if she won either. I would’ve been mad if Sharp won, but hey, I’m sure people had valid reasons for voting for her and weren’t just afraid to admit my opinion was right or trying to make excuses.

[malcolmk14]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I know it's easy to judge from this side, but I was watching the lady at the table sloooowly rip out a single ballot for mayor from their little perforated notebook, then slowly fold it, then initial it... and then repeat the whole thing two more times for the council and trustee ballots. It was painstakingly slow, and I remember thinking they could've saved themselves atleast 1 min. per person if they had a stack of pre-folded/initialled ballots ready to go at the start.

The Local Authorities Election Act now states that the ballot must be folded and initialed when issued. Workers were not allowed to pre-fold and pre-initial ballots this time.

Originally Posted by sketchyt

The worst part was watching voters take this as a socializing event and spend minutes (which felt like hours) asking way too many questions, not be prepared (watched a guy debate why he needed to bring his license when he forgot. I hope he walked), can't comprehend basic instructions, etc...

This was brutal. It is shocking how many people go to vote without proper ID.

[craigwd]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

If nobody broke the law, as you suggest, we wouldn't need processes in place at all. Just hand everyone who walks through the door a ballot and voting would take 15 seconds.

I still think it's ridiculous that we have to take our ballots across the gym, then walk back to where we started to deposit them in the box.

Just give me the ballot and a pencil, I'll mark it right there and hand it back. Boom. 5 seconds.

If it's too much trouble to shield your X with your body, stay home.

[puckedoff]

Yeah clearly having a stack of un-voted pre-initialled ballots would create risk that someone pockets a bunch or the extras are voted rather than disposed of, which is what they are trying to avoid.

Lady at our table said if the ballot got ripped at all it was deemed "spoiled" which may be why they were so slow to tear and fold. If they got rid of that rule and/or got books that were easier to rip pages from the line would have moved faster.

Edit: I'm probably in the minority here but I think its worth waiting longer (although time can and should still be improved) to ensure the democratic process stays intact, rather than switch to computer voting or some other structure that could be highjacked by nefarious actors (russians, oilers fans etc.)

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by craigwd

I still think it's ridiculous that we have to take our ballots across the gym, then walk back to where we started to deposit them in the box.

Just give me the ballot and a pencil, I'll mark it right there and hand it back. Boom. 5 seconds.

If it's too much trouble to shield your X with your body, stay home.

There are usually enoguh ballot boxes that it doesn't really matter. Sure, you can do that, but others like to take a little more time to make sure they do it right, maybe consult god, try to remember who their husband told me to vote for, those sorts of things. But it's not slowing things down.

[The Big Chill]

The lady voting beside me yelled half way across the gym to her husband that ‘the name you said to put isn’t on here’.