Just forget the words and sing along

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

At long last, the Alberta Provincial Election is over! Let me explain....

The most disputed riding in Alberta was Edmonton Castle Downs. After a lengthy election battle, the winner on the eve of November 22 was Liberal candidate Chris Kibermanis - by 3 votes. With a count that a close, a recount was naturally called. And again, Kibermanis won by 3 votes. Not wanting to give up, the Tories called for a judicial recount; a recount supervised by judges and lawyers and such. And again, Kibermanis won by three votes. Now that the courts were involved, the Tories asked for an appeal.

And, today, the Alberta Court of Appeal finished their recount. Now, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the winner is...

Tory incumbent Thomas Lukaszuk - by 6 votes.

Yup, those Tory lawyers were able to argue that 9 ballots that were previously invalidated shouldn't have been.

Unlike the Tories, the Liberals have opted to let this go and not appeal the appeal. the Liberals were urging the Tories to let it go over these past few months, but those Tories just wouldn't give up.

However, the Liberals are calling for election reform, saying that the Alberta Elections Act needs to more clearly define what constitutes a spoiled ballot.

Naturally, my anti-Klein bias is working against me and keeping me from seeing the big picture. Help me decide. Is this a case of making sure every ballot is counted, or just whining and complaining until you get your way?

Anyway, the other big story today...the Oscar nominations were announced! As I do every year, I've got my Oscar picks up at the main site, Chaos in a Box. Check them out, why don't you?

Next Issue...Down by One

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