Candidates and supporters gather at the Cypress Club on Monday evening after a month-long campaign.--NEWS PHOTO BRENDAN MILLER
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
What began as a chaotic day for voters – long lines, big stakes and more candidates than ever before – ended quietly as hand-counting rules led to little known by way of results.
Some Hatters reported waiting over an hour to cast their vote on Monday at 10 polling stations across the city as hundreds of voters waited in long lineups to have their say this election on the longest ballot ever recorded in Medicine Hat.
After polls closed, several mayoral and council candidates gathered at the Cypress Club downtown as well as the Silver Buckle to wind down following the campaign sprint. Candidates shared and toasted drinks in a relaxing atmosphere following a month of campaigning to represent Hatters.
As time of publication, results were slowly being released by municipal workers and volunteers who are counting this year’s ballots using a method known as Kangaroo Board, which allows a vote counter to apply 25 voting ballots to a large grid sheet of paper.
This election, only four incumbents were seeking re-election, including mayor Linnsie Clark, and councillors Robert Dumanowski, Shila Sharps and Alison Van Dyke.
Clark was at the centre of a controversial term after council stripped her of her duties in 2024, which led to a lengthy judicial review and following municipal inspection report.
The controversy also recently led to the termination of city manager Ann Mitchell, which was officially announced during the previous council’s last meeting held on Oct. 10.
That means Hatter had the opportunity to choose from 36 new faces on council and five new individuals for mayor.
Live up-to-date coverage from the News will begin again first thing this morning and continue until all results are available.
