Recount flips Edmonton Ward results after human error found

A close Edmonton ward race changed hands Wednesday after a recount by Edmonton Elections revealed a counting error.

In Ward sipiwiyiniwak, early results had shown Darrell Friesen narrowly ahead of Thu Parmar by just six votes. However, after a recount ordered due to the slim margin, Parmar emerged as the winner with 30.36 per cent of the vote, compared to Friesen’s 27.5 per cent — a difference of more than 600 votes.

Officials said the recount determined that the original tally had been affected by human error. Edmonton Elections had cited possible administrative or technical mistakes when ordering the review.

Ballot counting took place Wednesday afternoon at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Centre in west Edmonton. The city was also finalizing results for three other wards — Métis, Pihêsiwin, and Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi — after delays linked to incomplete counts from certain polling stations.

By the evening, results showed Jon Morgan leading in Ward Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi with nearly 37 per cent of the vote, Ashley Salvador winning Ward Métis with about 49 per cent, and Michael Elliott taking Ward Pihêsiwin with roughly 41 per cent.

Parmar described the experience as feeling “like overtime,” celebrating the reversal but calling for improvements to Edmonton’s new voting system. She pointed to long lineups and urged a post-election review to enhance accuracy and efficiency in future counts.

Friesen said he accepted the outcome, acknowledging that “the ward has spoken,” and expressed willingness to collaborate with Parmar on local issues.

Other candidates were critical of the province’s requirement for manual vote counting, citing staffing shortages and technical challenges. Morgan, among them, argued that the changes left election staff “overwhelmed and underfunded,” contributing to the delays.

Salvador echoed similar concerns, saying the new process raised “a number of questions” about election administration and voter accessibility.