Ken Johnston captured 54.76 per cent of the votes to become Red Deer’s next mayor, according to the official municipal election results released on Friday.
Thirty candidates ran for Red Deer City Council and the eight candidates elected to council included: Michael Dawe, 12,141 votes (8.99 per cent) ; Cindy Jefferies, 11,304 (8.37); Dianne Wyntjes, 8,961 (6.64) ; Lawrence Lee, 8,310 (6.16); Bruce Buruma, 7,067 (5.24); Vesna Higham, 6,298 (4.67); Kraymer Barnstable, 5,892 (4.37); and Victor Doerksen, 5,884 (4.36).
The seven candidates elected to Red Deer Public School Board included: Bev Manning, 6,074 votes (9.79 per cent); Matt Gould, 5,272 (8.5); Nicole Buchanan, 5,143 (8.29); Dianne Macaulay, 4,781 (7.7); Cathy Peacocke, 4,775 (7.69); Angela Sommers, 4,581 (7.38); and Jim Watters, 4,473 (7.21).
The five candidates elected to Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools Board in the Red Deer Area Ward included: Anne Marie Watson, 3,169 votes (19.45 per cent); Kim Pasula, 2,956 (18.14); Murray Hollman, 2,923 (17.94); Monique LaGrange, 2,546 (15.63); and Cynthia Leyson, 2,489 (15.28).
The winning candidate for QEII Ward for the Catholic school division was Dorraine Lonsdale with 374 votes, or 72.06 per cent. In the Highway 11 Ward for the Catholic division was Sharla Heistad with 268 votes, or 73.02 per cent.
Results of the referendum question asking voters whether the principle of making equalization payments should be removed from the Constitution showed 13,980 voted yes, or 68.62 per cent, and 6,393 (31.38) voted no.
Results of the referendum question asking if Alberta should adopt year-round Daylight Saving Time, or summer hours, which would eliminate the need to change clocks twice a year, showed 11,523 voted yes, or 54.6 per cent, and 9,580 (45.4) voted no.
When voters were asked to choose three Senate candidates, Pam Davidson received 7,951 votes or 19.74 per cent. Erika Barootes had 7,227 (17.94), and Mykhailo Martyniouk had 4,896 (12.16).
Red Deer saw an increase in voter turnout compared to 2017 municipal election.
In the 2021 election, a total of 21,548 out of 71,475 eligible voters, or 30.15 per cent, cast ballots, including 10,622 at advance voting stations.
In 2017, a total of 19,265 out of 66,897 eligible people voted, or 28.8 per cent, including 2,639 during at advance voting stations.