'It's a real problem for democracy'

With the ballots finally counted and the results official, Alberta’s 2025 municipal election cycle is one for the books. New regulations brought in by the provincial government for voters casting ballots for mayor, councillor and school trustee saw a requirement for a new attestation form, a ban on electronic tabulators in favour of hand counting, and the addition of political parties to Calgary and Edmonton. This week on West of Centre, host Kathleen Petty is joined by journalist and editor of The Sprawl, Jeremy Klaszus; Edmonton Journal civic affairs columnist Keith Gerein; and Mount Royal University political science professor Lori Williams. With the elections in many cities and towns hampered by long lines and slow processing times, the panel suggests some of the changes amount to a real problem for democracy.Host: Kathleen Petty | Producer & editor: Diane Yanko | Guests: Jeremy Klaszus, Keith Gerein, Lori Williams