Edmonton’s municipal elections are Monday, October 16. Here’s what should be everything you need to know to vote, and get a sense of what’s been going on this election. (We’ll update it as new information comes in.) Please share with any of your friends and family who tell you they “just don’t know enough” to vote.
We’ve also been looking at the election, including the latest and most interesting stories, in our regular Headlines posts. Check those out for the big news out of the election, stories from campaigns in Edmonton and the capital region, ward profiles and forum coverage, opinion and column pieces from around Edmonton and, of course, our usual amount of sass and soapboxing.
Alright, here’s what we’re pointing you at in this post:
Local media election story pages and microsites (yeah, all of them).
Edmonton Elections information on where you vote, ward forum videos, etc.
Daveberta’s list of all candidate websites and social media. See what they’re saying on Twitter!
Links to surveys that candidates have been asked to answer.
What’s in the news?
We attempted to capture the essence of this election (or, at least, its news coverage) in one of our last Headlines posts before the big day. If you like links, baby, it’s got links!
The newsroom doing the most regular coverage of the municipal elections is the Edmonton Journal (part of Postmedia Edmonton, so you’ll see the same stories in the Sun and Examiner too). All of the stories that have been published are in one handy location.
Taproot Edmonton’s been doing a weekly newsletter all about the election. Much like our Headlines, they’ve got links to all sorts of election stories, and the newsletters have been linking to all of the campaign events, forums and even candidate events and fundraisers. Check out all of the newsletters.
Taproot also has a microsite with links to election events, candidates and it will have a results dashboard on election night.
CBC Edmonton is gathering its election stories in an updating post (an idea we can, obviously, get behind). The CBC crew is also doing a live election night show at the Garneau Theatre. 7 – 10 p.m. on election night.
CTV Edmonton’s got a page set up with its election stories and candidate information.
Corus Edmonton’s election stories are also gathered in one place now. (Corus is Global TV, 630 CHED and iNews880)
Outside of the city, the St. Albert Gazette has an election section all set up for votes in St. Albert, Morinville and Sturgeon County.
You can also check other regional papers as a lot of the latest stories are all about the election and candidates running for office. These include newspapers in Spruce Grove and Stony Plain (and Parkland County), Devon, Leduc (and Leduc County), Beaumont, Strathcona County (and Sherwood Park) and Fort Saskatchewan.
And YEGnation has video interviews with some of the candidates.
Edmonton Elections (the official stuff)
Edmonton Elections has a site where you can find out all the pertinent information for voting on October 16. This includes finding which ward you live in, who your candidates are and how to vote on election day or in advance polls (hours you can vote, what ID you’ll need, etc.).
Every ward gets an official forum and the video will be uploaded shortly after the livestream. There will also be three mayoral forums recorded. This is a great way to find out what the candidates have to say on issues important to neighbourhoods you live in.
School boards don’t have official forums, but every candidate gets a brief video to let you know who they are and what they’re about. Here are the videos for Edmonton Public School Board, and here’s the Edmonton Catholic School District videos for all of the candidates in their election. (You get to vote for a trustee in either the Catholic or Public board.)
Check that official forums page again, because there are other events also listed that aren’t the main forums, which could be another chance for you to hear from candidates.
Daveberta’s candidate list
This is just the best list to find out more about your candidates, including their website and any campaign-connected social media. It’s an excellent resource!
Candidate surveys
The Edmonton Journal asked candidates a few questions, including what one thing they think they could get done in the next term, how to spread out affordable housing, ideas on diversifying the city’s economy beyond oil, and how slow we should make speed limits in neighbourhood streets (and it really does sound like it will be going down no matter who is elected).
The Local Good, a group focused on sustainable living, has sent a survey of five questions to every candidate running for city council. Scroll through their posts to find your candidates.
Edmonton Public Teachers have surveyed candidates running for the Edmonton Public School Board.
Capital Club, an Edmonton LGBTQ business professional organization has asked school board candidates for their thoughts.
Protecting LGBTQ students is a big issue in both the Public and Catholic school boards. The group Support Our Students (SOS) has a pledge its asking all school board candidates in Alberta to sign on to. Check to see if your candidates will protect LGBTQ students.
The Edmonton Social Planning Council asked every candidate what their top priorities are for reducing poverty in our city.
Culture and politics blog Pyriscence asked candidates what they think about police carding and what they’d do about it if they were elected.
The Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues also has a survey of a lot of candidates, focused on the role of leagues, infill and planning, affordable and supportive housing (and a few other questions).
The Postmedia Edmonton newsroom asked candidates in both school boards a handful of questions, including a couple around LGBTQ students and policies. Here are the answers from Catholic candidates and here’s where the Public candidates shared their answers.
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