Skip to content

Ready to run for office?

2021 election race has officially begun
0901 ElectionStart election signs CC 9250
REMEMBER THESE? — Election signs such as these ones from 2017 will soon return to St. Albert now that the 2021 election nomination period has officially begun. Candidates have until Sept. 20 to get their papers in. CHRIS COLBOURNE/St. Albert Gazette

The year has just begun, and some St. Albert-area candidates are getting ready to throw their hats in the ring for re-election. 

Alberta’s next municipal election might not be until Oct. 18 but Alberta residents are allowed to sign up as candidates as of Jan. 1.  

Prior to last year, municipal and school board election candidates had to register as candidates between 10 a.m. and noon on Nomination Day, which was four weeks before the election, said Sturgeon County returning officer Jesse Sopko. 

That changed as part of a series of amendments to the Local Authorities Election Act in 2018 and 2020, Sopko continued. Instead of having just two hours to file their papers, this year’s candidates have about nine months, with nominations open between Jan. 1 and noon on Sept. 20.  

Sopko said he had yet to receive any nomination papers as of Jan. 7, but would post the names of any candidates that did file to run on the county’s website. No candidates had registered to run in the Greater St. Albert Catholic, Legal, Morinville, St. Albert, and St. Albert Public elections as of Jan. 7, returning officers reported.  

Most undecided 

Most incumbents reached by the Gazette this week said they had yet to decide if they would run again this fall.  

“I am very focused right now on our board’s current work and on the added pressure placed on our schools by the pandemic,” St. Albert Public board chair Glenys Edwards said in an email.  

“The election in October 2021 seems far away and is not on my list of priorities.” 

Edwards also criticized this January start to the nomination process, and was concerned it could force incumbents to think about re-election far too soon. 

Also undecided were Greater St. Albert Catholic trustees Joan Crockett, Cathy Proulx, and Noreen Radford; St. Albert Public trustee Stanley Haroun; Legal Coun. Trina Jones; Morinville councillors Rebecca Balanko, Nicole Boutestein, and Stephen Dafoe; Sturgeon County Coun. Patrick Tighe; St. Albert councillors Wes Brodhead, Jacquie Hansen, Natalie Joly, and Ken MacKay; and St. Albert Mayor Cathy Heron. 

GSACRD trustee Greg Schell and Sturgeon Public trustee Joe Dwyer said they planned to run again, as did Legal Coun. Fred Malott, Morinville councillors Sarah Hall and Scott Richardson, and Morinville Mayor Barry Turner. Sturgeon County Coun. Karen Shaw, St. Albert Coun. Ray Watkins, and St. Albert Public trustee Cheryl Dumont said they would not seek re-election.  

What you need to run 

If you want to run in this fall’s election, you’ll have to be a Canadian citizen who ordinarily resides in Alberta and lives in the appropriate jurisdiction for six months prior to Election Day (i.e. from March 20 to Oct. 18), Sopko said.

That means anywhere in town for the St. Albert, St. Albert Public, Morinville, and Legal elections, and in your applicable ward or division for the Sturgeon County, Sturgeon Public, and GSACRD races. You also have to be Catholic to run for GSACRD. You can only run for one position in each race, which means you can’t run for both mayor and councillor. 

Under provincial law, residents cannot run in a municipal election if they are a judge, MLA, MP, or senator, or the jurisdiction’s auditor or employee (although employees can run with a leave of absence). You’re also barred if you owe more than $50 in taxes or $500 in debt to the jurisdiction, broke any election laws in the last 10 years, or did not comply with campaign financial disclosure rules.  

Sopko said candidates need five eligible voters (Canadian citizens aged 18 and up who live where the election is taking place on Oct. 18) to sign their nomination papers before they can be accepted. Some jurisdictions also require a deposit of up to $1,000, which candidates (or their estates) get back if they win, withdraw, get at least half the votes, or die before the election.  

Candidates can drop out of the election any time before noon on Sept. 20, Sopko said. You might be able to do so up to 24 hours after that, but not if your withdrawal would result in an empty council or trustee seat. 

Most returning officers reached by the Gazette asked candidates to schedule a meeting with them to hand over their nomination forms in person. St. Albert and St. Albert Public candidates can also mail in their forms or drop them in the mail slot at the front door of St. Albert Place.  

Being an elected official is challenging and stressful, and requires you to make tough decisions, Turner said, when asked why people should run for office. But you also get to learn a lot, meet passionate people, and have a positive impact on your community.

“It is an honour to serve, and I recommend to anyone that wants to make their community a better place that serving on council is a great place to start!” 

Legal, Morinville, Sturgeon County, St. Albert, and GSACRD have set up websites with additional information on how to run in this year’s election. Contact your local municipal or school board office for more details. 


Kevin Ma

About the Author: Kevin Ma

Kevin Ma joined the St. Albert Gazette in 2006. He writes about Sturgeon County, education, the environment, agriculture, science and aboriginal affairs. He also contributes features, photographs and video.
Read more



Comments

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks