City of Red Deer
City of Red Deer loosens voting restrictions for October municipal election due to covid
News release from the City of Red Deer
Vote Anywhere in the 2021 Election
The City of Red Deer is making changes to its election format in 2021 to increase accessibility and convenience for voters, and to ensure voting stations are safe for voters, staff and the general public, regardless of the state of the pandemic.
At the election, Red Deer voters will vote for one Mayor, eight Councillors, and either Public or Catholic School Trustees. Rather than dedicated neighbourhood voting stations, voters will be able to vote at any one of eight voting stations on Election Day, or one of three voting stations on any one of thirteen Advanced Vote days.
“Our Election planning typically starts about 18 months ahead of the Election, and at that time we were in the midst of the pandemic,” said Returning Officer Samantha Rodwell. “Recognizing the changing public health restrictions and the need to ensure space for physical distancing, we knew our traditional voting stations in smaller centres would not be feasible.”
Advanced Voting will be open for 13 days from October 4 to 16. On those days, voters can attend any one of three voting stations from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.:
- Parkland Mall: 6359 50 Avenue
- Baymont by Wyndham Red Deer: 4311 49 Avenue
- Westerner Park: 4847A 19 Street
In addition, voters can choose to attend any one of eight voting stations open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day, October 18:
- Northside Community Centre (YMCA): 6391 76 Street
- Radisson Hotel Red Deer: 6500 67 Street
- Parkland Mall: 6359 50 Avenue
- Joseph High School: 110, 2700 67 Street
- Baymont by Wyndham Red Deer: 4311 49 Avenue
- Cambridge Red Deer Hotel & Conference Centre: 3310 50 Avenue
- Collicutt Centre: 3031 30 Avenue
- Westerner Park: 4847A 19 Street
“Voters will have 39 opportunities to participate in the Advanced Vote and eight opportunities to vote on Election Day,” said Rodwell. “With voting stations being held at larger centres, and the increased number of opportunities, we are not only confident voters and staff will feel safe and secure, but we are also hopeful we will see an increase in voter turnout.”
Enhanced public safety measures will be in place to ensure safety of voters and staff: voting stations will have dedicated entrances and exits, enhanced cleaning and sanitization procedures will be in place, and stations will be laid out to allow for proper physical distancing. Any potential masking requirements will be determined based upon public health guidelines and local bylaws in place at the time of the Election.
“In addition to allowing voters to vote at any station, we’re also providing more information to voters so they can make an informed decision,” said Rodwell. “Enhanced candidate profiles are already available on our website, offering more information about candidates, their priorities, and links to their personal platforms. Come Advanced Vote and Election days, we will also have a map with real-time updates about wait times at voting stations so voters can decide which station will work best for them.”
Nominations opened on January 1 and, as of June 15, 23 candidates have submitted their nomination papers for positions of Mayor, Councillor or School Board Trustee. The City will continue to accept nomination forms until September 20, 2021 at 12:00 noon.
Both the City of Red Deer and the City of Lethbridge are amending their election operations in 2021 to allow eligible voters to select their voting station and allow for enhanced safety measures during the pandemic.
Information about Red Deer’s 2021 Election, including a voting station map, a list of current candidates and their submitted profiles, is available online at elections.reddeer.ca.
For more information, please contact:
Corporate Communications
The City of Red Deer
It’s a telling detail about the person who leads Red Deer City Council. Always putting the city’s needs ahead of his own, Mayor Ken Johnston has announced his intentions within days of the opening of Nominations for October’s municipal elections,
After 12 years on council, Mayor Ken Johnston has decided against running for a second term as Mayor this fall. Johnson shared his decision in front of colleagues and supporters in a touching announcement on Wednesday.
At 71 years old, Johnston remains vibrant, passionate and healthy. He says that’s exactly why he and his wife Carolyn have decided now is the right time to start their next stage of life together.
Mayor Johnston listed a number of highlights and achievements he can look back on, including his help advocating for the redevelopment of Red Deer Regional Hospital, the growth of Red Deer Polytechnic, and positive moves in Economic Development.
All these lead of a feeling of ease about the decision to step away, though affordable housing and a permanent shelter for the homeless remain pressing concerns.
With about 8 months remaining in his term, Mayor Johnston is planning to push hard to move the needle on these housing issues.
“We’re looking forward to some more work and we’ll be going to the community shortly about it. So I still have optimism that maybe before the term is out we can have an announcement.”
This is the second major political announcement in Central Alberta in the last number of days. Earlier this week Red Deer Mountain View MP Earl Dreeshen announced he won’t be running in the next federal election.
City of Red Deer
Council ends reduced fine option for early ticket payment, school and playground zones start at 7 AM
City Council approves first reading of updated Traffic Bylaw and General Penalty Bylaw
Red Deer City Council completed first reading of updated Traffic Bylaw (3707/2025) and General Penalties Bylaw (3036/A-2025) that will provide clarity and consistency in application of the bylaws as well as eliminate challenges in enforcement.
Key updates to the bylaws include:
- Ticket Pre-Payment:
- Removing the option to pay a parking ticket early to receive a reduced fee from the General Penalty Bylaw and adding it to the Traffic Bylaw.
- School and Playground Zone Start Times:
- Through investigating requests from schools to have school and playground zones start at 7 a.m., rather than 8 a.m., Administration determined that almost all school and playground zones in the city have students on the street prior to 7:30 a.m. To be consistent across the city, the start time is being moved to 7 a.m. providing an added measure of safety for all students.
- Salt on Sidewalks:
- Removing the provision prohibiting the use of salt on sidewalks as this provision was rarely reported and it is difficult and costly to enforce.
- Permits:
- More structure was added to the bylaw to clearly articulate conditions and requirements of Use of Streets Permits, as well as Excavation Permits and Alignment Permits.
- Lastly, fees for closures impacting on-street and off-street stalls have been adjusted to reflect the actual revenue in each parking zone rather than the flat fee.
- Penalties:
- Penalties have been reviewed and updated.
- During the last bylaw adoption, the penalty associated with vehicles being towed due to snow or street sweeping operations was inadvertently missed. This penalty has been added back in at a slightly higher amount due to an increase in the cost to tow a vehicle through The City’s contractor. This prevents the costs associated with towing vehicles during these operations from being subsidized by the tax base.
“These updates streamline the bylaws to create clarity for residents and administration,” said Erin Stuart, Inspections and Licensing Manager with The City. “They also help to eliminate regulations that are challenging to enforce and bring penalties in line with other City Bylaws.”
Second reading of both bylaws is anticipated for January 27, 2025.
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