February 1912 Edmonton municipal election
On September 27, 1911, the voters of Edmonton approved by plebiscite the amalgamation of Edmonton with Strathcona. A majority of Strathcona voters also voted in favour of amalgamation.
Amalgamation was effected February 1, 1912. In anticipation of this, no election was held December 11, 1911 as would normally have been required. Instead, elections were fixed for February 16, 1912.
Positions to be elected
With the amalgamation, Council's size was increased by two members, bringing the total number of aldermen to ten. No wards were used. The councillors were elected at-large. and all ten positions were filled at the same time in February 1912.Plurality block voting was used, with each voter casting up to ten votes. Due to a clause in the amalgamation agreement, in this election at least two of the elected councillors were required to come from the south side of the North Saskatchewan River.
In order to re-establish staggered terms for aldermen, the five most-popular of the aldermen elected in this election,, were elected to two-year terms, and the next five to one-year terms. The exception being that the most-popular southside candidate was elected to a two-year term and the least-popular of the elected southside candidates was elected to a one-year term. McInnis and Gowan, who were elected in February 1912, resigned in May, occasioning two by-elections in June.
In addition to electing city council, the February 1912 elections also elected the entirety of the seven-member board of trustees for the public school district and three of five members of the board of trustees for the separate school division.
Voter turnout
There were 2870 ballots cast. Information about the number of eligible voters is no longer available.Many of the voters on the voters list lived elsewhere but owned property in Edmonton. The previous year the proportion of absentee voters was estimated to be 25 percent in Edmonton and 40 percent in Strathcona.
Results
Mayor
- George S. Armstrong - 1791
- Bryce J Saunders - 1072
Aldermen
Aldermanic election was conducted using Plurality block voting. Each voter could cast up to ten votes, About 17,000 votes were cast by the 2870 voters who participated in this election.Elected
- Henry Douglas - 1640 elected to two year term
- Charles Gowan - 1230 elected to two year term
- John Tipton - 1227 - 1214 elected to one year term
- Joseph Clarke - 1174 elected to one year term
- Herman McInnes - 1164 elected to one year term
- Thomas J. Walsh - 1049 elected to two year term
- Gustave May - 993 elected to one year term
- Hugh Calder - 795 elected to one year term
- D. B. Campbell - 835
- J. H. McDonald - 779
- J. Pollard - 659
- George Elliott - 526 (Strath Board of Trade candidate
- A. Boileau - 297
Public School Trustees
Election was conducted using Plurality block voting. Each voter could cast up to four votes.- Walter Ramsey - 1531
- Bessie H Nichols* - 1446
- S.A.G. Barnes - 1348
- William Clark - 1145
- John Park - 1139
- Frank Crang - 839
- J G MacKenzie - 610
- Bessie Nichols was the first woman to run for public office in Edmonton. As a property owner or tenant, she was able to vote and she owned property in Edmonton so was not barred from running for that reason but her candidacy was not secure until an amendment to the city charter was rushed through the Alberta Legislature just before the election was held.