A vote recount conducted by Elections Calgary has affirmed Jeromy Farkas as the upcoming mayor of Calgary. The second-place candidate, Sonya Sharp, initiated the recount process according to the Local Authorities Election Act, commencing on Monday at 9:30 a.m.
Following the recount, updated figures released by Elections Calgary indicate Farkas secured victory with 91,112 votes compared to Sharp’s 90,496, resulting in a margin of 616 votes. The initial tally before the recount showed Farkas with 91,071 votes and Sharp with 90,490, reflecting a slight increase in votes for both candidates during the recount.
Sharp’s request for a recount was motivated by the narrow margin of victory in the election and the demanding conditions faced by election workers, such as long queues, new protocols, and manual vote counting stretching into the early hours of the morning. Sharp emphasized that her recount request was not a critique of the workers but rather a recognition that errors could occur under stressful circumstances.
The recount encompassed all mayoral votes cast in Calgary. With the recount now concluded, Farkas is scheduled to be inaugurated as Calgary’s new mayor on Wednesday at 6 p.m., alongside the newly elected council members.
In a statement, Farkas acknowledged his campaign team, appreciated the efforts of Elections Calgary and volunteer scrutineers, and underscored the significance of this democratic process. He mentioned the past week’s focus on forming a cohesive city council team to address the needs of Calgarians.
Farkas also extended congratulations to Sharp for her robust campaign, expressing optimism that Calgarians will benefit from her dedication to public service. CBC News has reached out to Sharp for her comments on the recount.
