Alan Wiese. (Submitted Photo/Alan Wiese)

By Julia Lovett-Squires

NB Recount

Wiese files recount request after losing to MacAngus by 2 votes in NB city council race

Nov 25, 2024 | 12:17 PM

Two votes separate City of North Battleford council candidates and now an official recount will take place at Court of King’s Bench in Battleford on Friday.

“Two votes, that’s real close. I know machines make mistakes and so I have requested actually to do a physical recount,” said Alan Wiese, the candidate who lost to Ross MacAngus’s 1,084 votes during the 2024 Municipal Election.

According to the city, the request for recount was received by the returning officer on Nov. 21 and a justice at Kings’s Bench in Battleford granted the request.

According to the city’s Vote Counting Machine Bylaw No. 2163, any recounts will be done using the same method as they were during the election.

“They’ll have to program the machine again, just to do the candidates and just to do the candidates in question,” he said, adding that regardless of what the bylaw stipulates, he still put in a request for the physical count.

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“I’d just like to be 100 per cent,” Wiese said.

battlefordsNOW has reached out to MacAngus for comment.

In Battleford, a potential recount has yet to officially be called for, however, there is one vote separating two council candidates David George and Clayton Lazar. According to Mayor Ames Leslie, if there is one to be called, they have until on or about Dec. 2 to file the request.

In North Battleford, the candidate who submitted the request said while it isn’t one vote that stands between the two men – it’s one away from one.

“I’m prepared for things to stay the same, mentally I’m prepared for that,” Wiese said.

During the campaign, it was a somewhat different expectation.

“I was prepared to be on council so, when I wasn’t I was taken aback,” said the candidate of his loss and support system who helped get him through it.

“When I saw the result, that then was like ‘Whoa, OK now I want to do something about it.”

Overall, the candidate is happy with how things went, he is disappointed with the turnout.

“We have 13,000-ish eligible voters and we get 2,800, it’s very disheartening, but 600 more than last time I guess,” Wiese said.

Meanwhile, the recount will take place at 9:30 a.m. on Nov. 29 in closed court. Results are expected to follow later that day.

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julia.lovettsquires@pattisonmedia.com

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