Your guide to the 2021 General Election

It’s almost time to vote for your new mayor and at least nine new councillors — as well as a bevy of other questions.

Monday’s municipal election is just a few days away now, and there is a lot to think about this year with several extra topics on your ballot.

We dove deeper into some of these issues in past newsletters, in particular the heated school board trustee elections and the contentious fluoride debate.

We also broke down what all of those extra questions on your ballot mean yesterday, which you can read here.

It’s all about the economy

Political scientist Lori Williams says this election is an important one when it comes to choosing your next council, and there are several issues this new council will have to handle right out of the gate.

“I think the issues are all of the challenges that Calgary is facing; a struggling economy, which is manifesting with low occupancy rates in downtown, the loss of revenue from higher vacancy rates, and the loss of revenue from the provincial government.”

She says being elected to council is more than just balancing the finances — but the city’s economy is a critical issue and it’s a big job.

“Basically, you can be the best ambassador to attract investments and opportunities… it’s not just a matter of managing the money,” she says.

“It’s not just a spending problem, there’s a serious, serious revenue problem. The solution to that is to generate more activity, create more opportunities for Calgary. And that’s where being an ambassador for the city is every bit important.”

With at least nine new faces being elected to council as well as a new mayor, it’s important to vote to have your say in the future of this city.

If you weren’t one of the 141,329 advanced voters that marked your ballots in the advance polling period between Oct. 4 and 10, then you need to know where to vote and how.

With the help of Elections Calgary, we’ve got you covered.

Here’s what you need to know

WHEN AND WHERE TO VOTE

Election Day is Monday, Oct. 18, 2021, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. According to the city, you must vote at one of your assigned polling stations, which can be found here.

FIND YOUR WARD

You might not know this, but the ward boundaries are changing as of Oct. 18, 2021. It’s a good idea to confirm which ward you are voting in this election in case yours has changed. You can find your ward here.

CANDIDATES

As you have probably heard by now, there are 27 candidates vying for mayor and over 100 for council total. You can find a full list of mayor and council candidates here. You can also find a list of separate school board trustee candidates here and public school board trustee candidates here. There is also a non-binding Senate election and you can find those candidates here.

WHAT YOU NEED TO BRING

In order to vote, you must bring identification containing your name and current address. Picture ID is not required.

This includes identification issued by a Canadian government, whether federal, provincial, or local, or an agency of that government, that contains a photograph of the elector, and their name, and current address; or a government cheque or cheque stub or income/property tax assessment notice, for example

If you don’t have those, here is a list of some alternatives.

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