1922 Edmonton municipal election


The 1922 municipal election was held December 11, 1922 to elect a mayor and six aldermen to sit on Edmonton City Council and three trustees to sit on the public school board. R Crossland, P M Dunne, Joseph Gariépy, and J J Murray were acclaimed to two-year terms on the separate school board.
There were ten aldermen on city council, but four of the positions were already filled: Ambrose Bury, James East, Thomas Malone, and Charles Weaver were all elected to two-year terms in 1921 and were still in office. Bickerton Pratt had also been elected to a two-year term in 1921, but had resigned in order to run for mayor. Accordingly, Valentine Richards was elected to a one-year term.
There were seven trustees on the public school board, but four of the positions were already filled: Samuel Barnes, Ralph Bellamy, Frank Scott, and Frank Crang had all been elected to two-year terms in 1921 and were still in office. The same was true on the separate board, where F A French, Paul Jenvrin, Thomas Magee, and Joseph Henri Picard were continuing.
The six candidates for mayor were a record high to date.
For the aldermanic election, each voter could cast up to six votes, a form of Proportional representation that had been used in Calgary city elections since 1917. The first Edmonton municipal election to use the new system was held in December 1923. James East and other Labour aldermen were supportive of the move to adopt STV. Citizens League councillors Izena Ross and Bickerton Pratt had surprised many when they too endorsed holding a referendum on the proposal.

Voter turnout

Out of 20,403 eligible voters, 10,923 cast ballots, for a voter turnout of 53.5%. The number of eligible votes was recorded as much lower than the previous election. A census held in 1921 measured the precipitous population dip that had occurred in Edmonton during the war years and in the post-WWI recession.

Results

bold indicates electeditalics indicate incumbent

Aldermen

Due to each voter being able to cast up to 6 votes, 53,000 votes were cast in this election by the 11,000 voters who voted. The Plurality block voting system meant that it was possible for the largest group to take all the seats, leaving none to the others.
  • Izena Ross was a sitting councillor, running for re-election. She was the first woman on the Edmonton city council.

Public school trustees

  • W H Alexander - 6146
  • E T Bishop - 5350
  • L T Barclay - 4794
  • C W Leonard - 3955

Separate (Catholic) school trustees

R Crossland, P M Dunne, Joseph Gariépy, and J J Murray were acclaimed.

Single Transferable Vote Plebiscite

Shall the Council pass Bylaw No. 42, being a bylaw for providing for the taking of the votes of the Electors at all future Elections of Mayor and Aldermen of the City of Edmonton by the "Proportional Representation System" known as the "Single Transferable Vote"?
  • Yes - 5664
  • No - 3075