Power outages force extended voting hours at Sherwood Park and Strathcona polling stations
High winds Saturday knocked power at multiple advance voting locations across Alberta on the final day before the October 19 referendum. Elections Alberta extended hours to make up lost time.
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High winds Saturday caused power outages at advance voting locations across Alberta on the final day of voting ahead of the provincial referendum on October 19.
Two polling stations in the Edmonton suburbs extended their hours to compensate for lost time. The Four Points by Sheraton in Sherwood Park remained open until 9 p.m., while the Emerald Hills Shopping Centre in Strathcona-Sherwood Park stayed open until 8:50 p.m.
Elections Alberta said several advance voting locations around the province were temporarily closed because of the outages. Locations that reopened were permitted to extend voting hours to account for the disruption.
The Two Hills Recreation Centre in Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville electoral division was closed at 2:20 p.m. and remained closed as of 5 p.m. Voters there were redirected to cast their ballots in Vegreville instead.
Elections Alberta secured all voting materials, ballot boxes and ballots during the closures and posted notices directing voters to alternate voting locations within their electoral divisions or to return after power was restored. The agency said updates would be provided as more information became available.
The facts
Which polling stations extended their hours on Saturday, October 17?
The Four Points by Sheraton in Sherwood Park stayed open until 9 p.m., and the Emerald Hills Shopping Centre in Strathcona-Sherwood Park remained open until 8:50 p.m.
Why were voting hours extended at these locations?
High winds caused power outages at advance voting locations across Alberta on Saturday, October 17, the final day of voting before the referendum. Elections Alberta extended hours to compensate for the lost time during the outages.
What happened at the Two Hills Recreation Centre?
The Two Hills Recreation Centre in Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville electoral division closed at 2:20 p.m. due to power outages and remained closed as of 5 p.m. Voters were redirected to cast their ballots in Vegreville instead.
