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1. How often are municipal elections held?

The normal term of office is 4 (four) years for local government officials.  By-elections are held when required to fill vacancies on a Council in between general municipal elections. Visit the Municipal Election webpage for more details.

2. Who makes the election rules?

Municipal elections in Alberta are conducted according to the Local Authorities Election Act, which is provincial legislation.  The Town of Black Diamond Council passes resolutions to appoint a Returning Officer, and to authorize the Returning Officer to do such things as providing advance voting, setting up an institutional vote for residents of the High Country Lodge, hiring election workers, etc.  All of these activities, although authorized by Council, must be undertaken in accordance with the Local Authorities Election Act.

Beginning with the 2021 municipal elections, the province has also passed two (2) other pieces of legislation that will combine some provincial election opportunities with the municipal elections across the province.  

• Alberta Senate Election Act, and
• Referendum Act

These acts will require municipalities to hold any applicable senate election or referendum questions in their municipalities if required by the province.  The province has also passed a regulation for each of these two (2) acts, to provide the municipalities with some funding to assist with extra costs incurred in undertaking these votes.

3. Do I need to be a Canadian citizen to vote in a municipal election?

In order to be eligible to vote in a municipal election, you must:

• be at least 18 years old,
• be a Canadian citizen (a Permanent Resident is not a Canadian Citizen), and
• be a resident of Alberta, and a resident of the municipality on election day.

Your residence is the place where you live and sleep, and to which you will return after an absence.  For the purposes of voting, you can only have one residence.  Students that attend educational institutions within or outside of Alberta, but have family members resident in Alberta and the student resides with that family when not attending the educational institution, are deemed to reside with those family members (they are resident there, not at their educational institution or dorm).

 

4. Do I need to show identification to vote?

Every person who wishes to vote must make a statement (on the prescribed form) at the voting station, in the presence of an officer at the voting station, that validates their residence in the municipality.

Voters must produce one (1) of the following:

• one (1) piece of ID issued by a Canadian government (federal, provincial or local) or an agency of that government that contains a photograph of the person, the person's name and the address of that person's residence, or
• one (1) piece of ID authorized by the Chief Electoral Officer under the Election Act for the purposes of section 95(1)(a)(ii) of that Act that establishes the person's name and current address, or
• one (1) piece of other acceptable ID.

A voter who cannot produce ID to validate their identity or their residence may have an eligible elector vouch for them, in accordance with section 53(4)-(8) of the Local Authorities Election Act.

The Returning Officer will (prior to advance voting dates) publish on the Town's website, a list of ID that is acceptable if the voter does not have any photo ID issued by a Canadian government.

The Returning Officer is aware that most photo ID for residents of Black Diamond (i.e. a Driver's License) will provide a PO Box #, rather than a street address.  This is an acceptable form of identification if the PO Box is located in Black Diamond or Turner Valley.  However, PO Boxes from other municipalities, or rural route addresses, will not be acceptable proof of residence, and voters should be prepared to provide one of the other forms of ID from the list.

5. I think I made a mistake on my ballot - what do I do?

The most common mistake voters make is not understanding how many people they can vote for.  Voting instructions are placed inside each voting compartment.  Each ballot that a voter takes must indicate the number of people that can be voted for.  Here are some helpful reminders:

In Diamond Valley, the Mayor is elected, not chosen by the Council.  You may vote for 1 mayoral candidate.

Diamond Valley Council has 6 Councillor seats.  Voters may choose up to 6 candidates (less than 6 is OK, more than 6 will cause your ballot to be rejected).

A School Division Trustee ballot - voters can choose 1 candidate.

Senate ballots may vary, and are produced by the province.  Voters will need to pay close attention to those ballots and the instructions posted inside the voting compartment.

Referendum ballots may contain multiple questions and voters may answer each question provided on that ballot.  These ballots are also produced by the province.

Voter Tips - Make Sure Your Ballot Counts!

1. Exercise care in marking your ballots.  Voting in a manner that causes the ballot to be rejected by the deputy (section 86 of the Local Authorities Election Act) will result in that ballot not being counted.  
   • Ballots should be clearly marked with an "X" and with no other markings other than the deputy returning officer's initials.  
   • Too many votes cast will cause a ballot to be rejected.  It is important that voters be aware of the maximum number of people to be voted for on any ballot, and read the instructions provided to be sure.  
   • Never initial, sign, tear or mark a ballot in any way that could be an identifying mark.  Ballots marked or defaced in this way will be rejected.
   • Rejected ballots are "accounted for" but not "counted" for/against any specific candidate.  
2. If you make a mistake on your ballot (a spoiled ballot) and would like the opportunity to correct that mistake, you may return your ballot to the deputy for verification, do not place it in the ballot box, and if they are satisfiedthat you've made a genuine error, a replacement ballot can be provided to you.  
   • Once you place your ballot in the ballot box, you are finished voting and must leave the voting station.  You cannot be provided with another ballot.
3. You do NOT have to take all ballots offered.  When you provide the deputy returning officer with your identification and complete the statement form required, you will be asked which ballots you want.  You may choose specific ballots, or you may take all of them.  
   • Some people feel that they are making a statement in submitting an unmarked ballot, and that is their choice.  A blank ballot may be submitted to the ballot box, the same as any marked ballot, but the voter will not be entitled to a new ballot for that office or question once their blank one is submitted.  Be sure to double-check your ballots before you leave the voting compartment.
4. It is an offence to remove ANY ballot from the voting station, whether marked or not.  ALL ballots taken from the deputy must be returned to the deputy to be deposited in the ballot box or otherwise accounted for.  

6. What if I won't be in Diamond Valley on election day?

The Town of Diamond Valley always provides at least one (1) advance voting opportunity, usually two (2).  Be sure to visit the Municipal Elections webpages to know when you will be able to cast your ballots.

7. When will election results be announced?

Here in Diamond Valley, we count our ballots by hand, and that process can take several hours.  We ask our candidates, the media and the community to be patient while we count all those ballots - every one of them is important.  If it's taking us a long time, it means voters have done a great job of showing up to vote!

Depending on voter turnout, and assuming that no recounts are required on election night, results are usually available quite late in the evening.  Between 10:00 pm and 12 Midnight is the "normal" count completion time.  The Returning Officer will release the unofficial election results, using the Town's website and social media platforms, as soon as all ballot counts have been completed.

Election results become official at noon on the fourth day after the election.