Mayor, councillor concerned over pending release of voter info
Posted May 10, 2021 3:44 pm.
CALGARY – Mayor Naheed Nenshi and Ward 3 Councillor Jyoti Gondek are expressing concern over the pending release of a list of voter information.
A list of Calgary’s eligible voters and their addresses is expected to be released to mayoral candidates later this year ahead of the October municipal election.
Nenshi says the list is actually an important tool for campaigning–but it’s not a critical one in the age of social media. He says there are other ways of reaching constituents.
“So it’ll be a good question to see whether we should be providing that to any candidate this year just given the heightened tension… right now,” he told reporters outside council chambers Monday afternoon.
Gondek is calling for the voters list not to be released to any of the candidates as a safety measure.
We are faced with a dangerous prospect in this municipal election. A candidate who has threatened violence against AHS will be given a voter list w/ Calgarians’ home addresses & phone numbers.
We must band together & ask Elections Calgary NOT release voter lists to anyone.
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— Jyoti Gondek (@JyotiGondek) May 10, 2021
“There is no power under the Local Authorities Election Act for the city to prohibit this candidate. The minister could step in, but will he? We cannot open the door to violence. We must suspend the release of voter lists,” she tweeted.
It will make our election campaigns more challenging, but it will protect Calgarians. That should be our first job as candidates & elected officials.
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— Jyoti Gondek (@JyotiGondek) May 10, 2021
Nenshi says he needs to take a look at the legislation around the release of the list to see what precautions can be taken.
https://twitter.com/Tommy_Slick/status/1391837763385712642
“When you have a candidate who’s currently facing charges for, frankly, violent assault, and you have a candidate who has been openly threatening people, then we have to make sure we’re looking out for the safety of citizens and the safety of other candidates as well.”
Calgary police have yet to respond to our request for comment regarding recent targeted comments from one of the mayoral candidates.
