UCP candidates Tyler Shandro and Whitney Issik have filed for judicial recounts in their respective ridings of Calgary-Acadia and Calgary-Glenmore, True North has learned.
Both candidates lost their seats by less than 50 votes in the May 29th election.
“In light of the close election results in Calgary-Acadia and Calgary-Glenmore, the United Conservative Party candidates in those electoral districts have filed for judicial recounts,” UCP spokesperson Dave Prisco told True North.
“This action, taken with full respect for the electoral process, reinforces our firm commitment to complete transparency. It enables a thorough examination, especially of the yet-to-be-reviewed advance polling ballots, to ensure intention of each eligible vote is accurately accounted for.”
“We look forward to the process unfolding in a transparent manner, underscoring the importance of accuracy and integrity in our electoral system.”
Last week, Elections Alberta released the official election results for the 2023 Alberta provincial election, which included automatic recounts in both Calgary-Acadia and Calgary-Glenmore because the ridings were decided by less than 100 votes.
Shandro lost Calgary-Acadia by seven votes to NDP MLA-elect Diana Batten on election night. The official results following the recount reveal that Batten won by 25 votes, increasing the margin by 18 ballots.
Issik lost Calgary-Glenmore to NDP MLA-elect Nagwan Al-Guneid by 30 votes on election night. That margin widened to 42 votes following the recount, an increase of 12 ballots.
Under the judicial recount process, each candidate will argue the specifics of each ballot before a judge.
Issik was former premier Jason Kenney’s Environment and Parks Minister but had no portfolio in Smith’s government. Shandro was the Health Minister during the Covid-19 pandemic but was shuffled to Justice minister before Kenney’s leadership review. He retained that file under Smith.
