Pearl Lorentzen

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The next municipal election is October 20, 2025, and people who have moved since or weren’t registered in the federal election will have to change their information ahead of time.

Ashley Lindbergh is the returning officer for the Town of Slave Lake. She answered a few questions about the permanent voter list.

“If a member of the public registered to vote for the federal election they will be on the list,” says Lindbergh. “However, if residents have moved within the municipality and their physical address has changed since they last registered, they will have to change their information.”

People can register at www.voterlink.ab.ca.

The deadline to register for the list varies by municipality.

August 15, 2025 is the deadline to register The M.D. of Lesser Slave River, says an M.D. news release.

For the Town of Slave Lake, the deadline to register is September 14, 2025.

The M.D. news release adds, “voters who are not registered by this date will need to complete registration at the voting station before receiving a ballot.”

The M.D. of Opportunity and Big Lakes County’s websites have information about the election, but not the date to register, so to be safe aim for mid-August.

More details on the municipal election are at alberta.ca/municipal-elections-overview.

It lists two ways to vote. If you are on the list, you need one piece of government identification. People can also vote if they are not on the list, if they fill out a form to register for the list and have one piece of government ID.

People with a post office box on their identification must also bring an income tax slip or bill that can be used for identification, says Lindbergh.

Nomination opened January 1, 2025 and closes on September 22, 2025. The election will be for municipal councillors and school trustees.

The town will be updating its website with pertinent information throughout the election process, adds Lindbergh.

To vote in the municipal election and for the trustees, a person must be at least 18 years old, a Canadian citizen, and live within the municipality.

Some First Nations have their own school divisions and others have education agreements with public school boards.

Northland School Division has education agreements with some First Nations in the area, such as Calling Lake.

Asked about how people on reserve will vote for Northland wards where applicable, Curtis Walty, Northland media relations manager, says, “Once we know where elections are taking place, we will have polling stations at the school or schools within the ward.”

People on these reserves can also run to be a trustee.

Bigstone Cree Nation Education Authority has schools in Wabasca, but Northland runs the Calling Lake school which serves the hamlet and reserve.

Sawridge First Nations doesn’t have its own schools. Swan River First Nation has a school, but it doesn’t go up to Grade 12. Loon River First Nation and Peerless Trout First Nation students attend Kee Tas Kee Now Tribal Council Schools.