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Letters Describe Long Lines at Edmonton Polls, Blame Shift to Hand Counts

Letter writers blame a tabulator ban plus limited check-in staff for delays, renewing calls for electoral reform.

Overview

  • Correspondents reported waits of roughly 30–45 minutes at some polling stations and said the slow process discouraged would‑be voters.
  • Letters detailed an in‑person workflow of forms, ID checks, computer lookups and depositing three color‑coded ballots that participants called inefficient.
  • Several accounts pointed to few check‑in desks and apparent staffing shortages, including a site with only three stations handling a long queue.
  • A provincial prohibition on ballot tabulators was cited by multiple writers as a major cause of slower voting and manual counting, though no official breakdown of causes was provided.
  • Frustration over what writers called poor turnout fed calls for changes such as run‑off elections and incentives like recreation‑fee cards or community‑service options for non‑voters.