In an email sent to supporters on Oct. 10, incumbent Wards 3 and 4 Public School Trustee Laura Hack said that misinformation was being provided to voters at polls, saying that she had withdrawn from running and that her opponent was acclaimed.

Hack, in her email, also asked for an investigation into the issue.

“It is important for you to be aware that false information is being provided to voters at the advance polling stations from some election workers. Laura Hack’s campaign has been made aware of multiple locations and times where during the advanced voting Calgarians were told that Laura Hack has withdrawn her name and that the other candidate was declared acclaimed,” she wrote.

“This is wrong and misleading to voters. Laura Hack’s campaign hopes these issues will be properly addressed and investigated by Elections Calgary who carries out the Election on behalf of the Calgary Board of Education.”

Only a single candidate from Ward 8, David Cree, who was running to be a city councillor, has withdrawn from the election.

The City of Calgary said that Elections Calgary staff were made aware of the claims made about election workers at the Symons Valley United Church and Thorncliffe Greenview Community Association Advance Vote stations.

“After speaking with the Presiding Deputy Returning Officers (PDROs) at both Advance Vote stations, we have no evidence of this miscommunication. Following notice of the alleged miscommunication, to ensure clarity, the PDROs have communicated with all election workers at these Advance Vote stations that there is no change to nominated candidates in any contest in the General Election,” said the City of Calgary.

The city highlighted that only Cree had withdrawn from the race, and that Calgarians can verify who is running in all of the races during the 2025 general election at the Elections Calgary website (electionscalgary.ca).

Contemplated not bringing the issue forward

Hack said that she contemplated whether or not to personally bring the allegations forward, but the number of people with accounts at both polling stations convinced her.

“I felt it was necessary to bring this forward to the public so that they’re aware, so they understand what their rights are,” she said.

“I know that not everybody is comfortable taking things to the authority, but felt that I was a safe person to bring this forward to to make sure that the record is cleared up.”

On two accounts, said Hack, voters were told that they didn’t get a ballot to cast for school board trustee.

“One of them was that was told that they don’t get a ballot because I had dropped out, but that they received the other ballots. Those people were not given a ballot, and they had since returned, hoping to be able to cast a ballot, and said that they were going to reach out to the number that I had given them to contact elections Calgary,” said Hack.

“At Thorncliffe Greenview, they were told that the same similar thing that Laura hack had withdraw her name, the other candidate had been acclaimed. They did insist on a ballot and were given one.”

She said that on those accounts, her other running candidate for trustee had been acclaimed.

“It does come as a bit of a shock, as far as I know, I hadn’t heard of anything like this happening in the last election. You have to be able to trust in the democratic process, and if that trust is broken, records need to be cleared up, and people do need to be accountable,” said Hack.

The lack of evidence from an investigation to back up the claims of voters, said Hack, was disappointing but also not surprising.

“I don’t think there would be evidence voting stations don’t have cameras, and this for a very good reason. But I do expect those who are hired to work for elections held to a higher standard. My name was used, the other candidates was used when it was communicated that I had been withdrawn,” she said.

“If it was truly a mistake or a miscommunication, I would have expected someone to come forward, to own up, and to be able to make things right, and that hasn’t happened. So I am disappointed.”

Hack said that the most important thing was to know that no candidate from the public trustee race has been acclaimed.

“I think it’s important that people also know that my name has not been withdrawn. But I do hope that people know now that there is someone to contact if issues come forward, or if people feel comfortable bringing forward written complaints to elections Calgary, that they can do so and that they’ll be heard.”