With less than a week to go before voter’s head to the polls in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, election staff are in the final stages of training for what’s said to be one of the most complex ballot counts in the region’s history. This year marks the first municipal and school trustee election in Wood Buffalo since new provincial rules came into effect last May, requiring all ballots to be counted by hand rather than electronically.
The RMWB’s Returning Officer Jade Brown says residents should not expect to see results immediately after polls close on October 20th.
In Ward 1, with a high number of candidates fighting for six council seats, results in that ward are expected to take the longest.
The last municipal election was held in 2021, during the height of the pandemic. At that time, just 13 percent of the population, then about 106,000 residents cast their vote. Brown says they’re anticipating a much stronger turnout this year, potentially doubling 2021’s numbers.
Covering more than 102,000 square kilometres, the RMWB’s election rollout is a massive operation. Planning began back in September last year, with staff deployed across the region from as far north of Fort Fitzgerald to Conklin in the south.
Due to the change in vote-counting procedures, the municipality has nearly doubled its election budget and staffing levels, with around 300 workers involved at an estimated cost of $600,000. Officials say those numbers are on par with similar cities like Medicine Hat and Red Deer.
Once polls close on election night, teams will begin the meticulous hand-counting process using what’s known as the “kangaroo board” method, an approach that allows roughly 100 ballots to be counted every 40 minutes. Counting will pause at 1 a.m. and resume at 9 a.m. the following morning if needed. The updated process also places a strong focus on ballot security and youth engagement. For the first time, youth aged 16 and up are being recruited as greeters and information officers at polling stations, a move aimed at increasing civic involvement and preparing the next generation of election workers.
Advance voting is currently underway, and residents can cast their ballots at any location regardless of ward. On Election Day, however, voters must attend their designated polling station and provide photo ID and proof of address.
You can find the full list of candidates and all your election coverage on the Wood Buffalo Votes 2025 page.
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