INNISFAIL – The town is getting legal advice this week on how it can manage the sudden appearance of candidate signs for the 2021 municipal election that is more than seven months away.
The issue of early election signage was brought up at town council’s Agenda & Priorities Meeting today (March 15).
Heather Whymark, the town’s corporate services director and the assigned returning officer for the upcoming election, said the current policy was clear that candidate election signs can only go up 45 days prior to an election, but the issue of enforcement is less so.
Whymark noted the current policy only states: “All election signs on public and private property must be removed within 48 hours of the closing of the voting station. The Town of lnnisfail has the authority to remove any election sign that does not comply with the Policy.”
She said the town needs to get that wording legally reviewed and get it changed.
“So that there is no misunderstanding of what, where and how,” said Whymark. “The individuals that have signs up, and those that are inquiring, have been informed of this policy. Whether they comply is to be seen.”
Whymark said she was hoping for a legal response today (March 15) but added it now looks like it could take until Wednesday (March 17) before she will have a “better idea of what should happen with this.
“I’m assuming that I would have to bring something back in a bylaw format that has an enforcement component to it,” she said.
In the meantime, citizens across the community witnessed the sudden appearance of municipal election signs last weekend, and it generated a flurry of inquiries.
It was also not totally unexpected because the municipal election rules across the province changed.
Last Dec. 14 council was formally updated on amendments to the provincial Local Authorities Election Act, which lays out the rules and guidelines for Alberta municipal elections.
The biggest difference was that candidates could declare their nomination on Jan. 1, more than 10 months before this year’s general municipal election on Oct. 18. In previous municipal election campaigns candidates could only do so six weeks before voting day.
Glen Carritt, a former Innisfail town councillor who is running for mayor, was one candidate who put up signage last weekend.
“I’m following the provincial guidelines that were set out. Other towns and cities are following as well,” said Carritt in a text response to The Albertan.
Carritt also sent The Albertan a montage of Facebook photos of Edmonton Coun. Mike Nickel’s signage for his current run for mayor.
Whymark told council her office’s research showed that most communities in the province are not allowing sign campaigning until 45 days or six weeks before the election.
She also said there was a “visual component” attached to the issue, noting council must decide what it wants its municipality to look like during this new prolonged period before the election, as the town landscape could be covered with election signs for the next seven months.
Coun. Jean Barclay, who is also running for mayor in the upcoming municipal election, added that she has already had public feedback over the sign issue and the possible visual discomfort it could bring for many.
“People are not happy with maybe 15 or 20 candidates having signs out for months on end,” said Coun. Jean Barclay. “What would that look like?”
