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FORT McMURRAY, AB. — The ballot is filling up for the upcoming municipal election in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.
More than 20 candidates are vying for five seats in Ward 1, which represents the city of Fort McMurray. Applications were still coming in Monday, suggesting the list could grow even longer.
Ward 2, which includes Fort McKay, Fort Chipewyan and Fort Fitzgerald, has five people running for its two seats. Two candidates are seeking the single seat in Ward 3, representing Saprae Creek and Draper, while another two are competing in Ward 4, which covers Anzac, Janvier, Conklin and Gregoire Lake Estates.
School board races are also drawing heavy interest. Twenty-four people are seeking seven trustee positions in the Fort McMurray Public School Division, while 14 candidates are running for five trustee spots in the Fort McMurray Catholic School Division.
Cullen Bird, strategic communications officer with the municipality, says the official list of candidates will not be confirmed until Wednesday. Candidates still have the option to withdraw before then.
This year’s ballot is expected to be one of the longest in a decade. Election officials say it will also take longer to count votes after a provincial rule change requiring municipalities to hand-count ballots rather than scan them electronically.
Greg Bennet, with the municipality, says even unofficial results are unlikely on election night. He says staff will work around the clock to provide preliminary numbers as quickly as possible, though the lengthy hand count may dampen election night parties.
The official election is on October 20, 2025.
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