As the autumn sun dipped below Edmonton’s skyline Monday evening, Tina Merali stood in a line that snaked around Westmount Mall for nearly three hours, determined to cast her ballot in Alberta’s municipal elections.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” she told me, checking her watch as the 8 p.m. deadline approached. “But I’m not leaving without voting.”
Across Alberta yesterday, thousands of voters faced unprecedented delays at polling stations, with some municipalities reporting wait times of two to four hours. The situation grew so dire that Edmonton, Calgary, and several smaller communities extended voting hours past the scheduled closing time to accommodate everyone still in line.
At the root of these delays: staffing shortages, new ID requirements implemented earlier this year, and what election officials described as “technical glitches” with the electronic voter registry systems.
“We had to switch to manual verification in several locations,” explained Walter Simmons, Edmonton’s Chief Returning Officer. “That slows everything down considerably when you’re talking about thousands of voters.”
The Alberta Municipal Affairs office reported that voter turnout appeared higher than the 2021 elections, though precise numbers won’t be available for several days. This increased participation, while celebrated by democracy advocates, further strained an already stretched system.
In Calgary’s Beltline neighborhood, Jordan Matheson arrived at his polling station at 5:30 p.m., expecting a quick in-and-out experience. By 8:15, he was still waiting.
“They’re letting people vote as long as they were in line before 8,” he explained via text message. “But it’s frustrating. People are leaving because they can’t wait this long—they have kids to pick up, dinner to make.”
The new voter identification requirements, which came into effect in March through Bill 27, mandate that voters present photo ID or two pieces of authorized identification. Critics of the legislation warned that these changes might create barriers, particularly for elderly voters, newcomers to Canada, and lower-income residents.
These warnings appeared to materialize yesterday as poll workers carefully verified each voter’s credentials, significantly slowing the process. Several polling stations reported having only two or three workers managing hundreds of voters.
Lethbridge Mayor Blaine Hyggen acknowledged the frustrations in a statement late Monday night: “We recognize the tremendous patience shown by voters today. The delays experienced are being thoroughly reviewed to ensure future elections run more smoothly.”
The Elections Alberta commissioner confirmed they received dozens of complaints about the delays, with particular concerns about accessibility issues. At Edmonton’s Commonwealth Recreation Centre, wheelchair users reported waiting outside in near-freezing temperatures because the indoor waiting area couldn’t accommodate the unexpected crowd size.
“This isn’t just an inconvenience,” noted Maria Gonzalez, a political science professor at the University of Calgary. “When voting becomes this difficult, it creates real democratic access issues. People with disabilities, hourly workers who can’t take extended time off, parents with young children—these voters face much higher barriers when lines stretch for hours.”
Social media filled with images of the long lines, with the hashtag #AlbertaVotingChaos trending by early evening. Many voters shared stories of community spirit amid the frustration: neighbors holding spots in line for each other, local coffee shops delivering free beverages to those waiting, and impromptu childcare arrangements as parents took turns watching kids while others voted.
“The silver lining is seeing how seriously Albertans take their civic duty,” said Raymond Chen, Elections Alberta spokesperson. “Despite the long waits, most people stayed to cast their ballots.”
The delays come after Alberta’s UCP government made significant changes to municipal election rules. Besides the stricter ID requirements, the government eliminated the practice of vouching, where a registered voter could confirm another eligible voter’s identity if they lacked proper ID.
According to data from the Municipal Affairs office, smaller communities experienced fewer problems, with many rural polling stations reporting normal operations. The most severe delays concentrated in high-density urban areas and fast-growing bedroom communities surrounding Edmonton and Calgary.
In St. Albert, where some voters reported three-hour waits, Councillor Wes Brodhead promised a thorough review. “This was clearly unacceptable,” he stated after polls finally closed around 10 p.m. “We need to understand what went wrong and how to prevent it in future elections.”
The problems weren’t universal. In Medicine Hat, most voters reported wait times under 30 minutes, and Red Deer’s election officials managed to maintain relatively smooth operations despite higher-than-expected turnout.
Political analysts suggest these municipal election difficulties might foreshadow challenges in the next provincial election, currently expected in 2027 but potentially coming earlier.
“When you add new verification requirements without proportionally increasing staffing or resources, you’re setting up for exactly what we saw yesterday,” explained Gonzalez. “The question now is whether these lessons will inform provincial election planning.”
As results finally began trickling in late Monday night, many newly elected officials’ victory speeches included promises to address the voting delays in their upcoming terms.
For Tina Merali, who finally cast her ballot at 9:15 p.m., the experience reinforced both her commitment to democratic participation and her frustration with the process.
“I’ll always vote,” she said, as she finally exited the polling station. “But next time, I’ll be showing up right when polls open.”
