Edmonton Coun. Andrew Knack said the Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment Act (MASAA) will have severe financial impacts on the City of Edmonton. Knack has been raising the alarms about the MASAA undermining local democracy. “Along with reducing your voice in the democratic process, we have a better sense of the real financial impacts of this legislation,” tweeted Knack..The City of Edmonton said the total cost to implement the automated voting equipment prohibition from the MASAA will be $2.56 million in 2025. It confirmed the permanent electors register will cost $2.36 million by 2026. The special ballot expansion comes in at $371,000 in 2025. The election finance changes, candidates, parties, and slates are expected to cost $863,000 by 2026. However, the enhanced election support structure will come in at $829,000 by 2026. The total for the changes will be $5.83 million by 2026. Knack went on to say all municipalities are experiencing similar cost impacts and while this is mandatory based on the changes by the Alberta government, it will not pay for the increased costs to run municipal or school board elections. This means property taxes will be required to pay for the increased costs. On top of the increased costs, he said voting results will take longer. He added what makes these changes and costs most frustrating “is that it’s not based on reality or facts.”When the changes to remove voting tabulators were first introduced, Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver said he had “never called their integrity into question.” After being asked why these changes would be made when he was unaware of any issues, McIver said he did not care. “This is not how policy decisions should be made and local taxpayers should not be on the hook for decisions not based on facts,” said Knack. “At the @ABmunis Convention this week, members voted overwhelmingly in favour of being allow to use tabulators and we were told that the provincial government will not allow that so those additional costs will be required to run next year’s election.”McIver responded by saying the changes in the MASAA were passed in spring 2024 to give municipalities adequate time to prepare for the 2025 Alberta municipal elections. “It is important for Albertans to feel they can trust the methods and results of local elections and requiring all ballots to be counted by hand will bolster their trust in the election outcome, which is better for democracy,” he said. “Conducting municipal elections has always been a cost for the municipality to bear and that has not changed.”The Alberta government wrapped up the spring legislative session in May by approving the MASAA by a 46-25 vote..Alberta government concludes legislative session by passing municipal affairs, health bills .This vote was split along party lines, with Alberta United Conservative Party MLAs voting for it and the NDP ones against it. “The motion is carried and so ordered,” said Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta Nathan Cooper.
