“Banff Council Seat Decided by Single Vote”

Believe your vote holds no significance?

Think again.

Just ask Michelle Backhouse and Allan Buckingham.

The final seat on Banff council came down to a single vote between the two candidates, with Backhouse securing 742 votes over Buckingham’s 741.

Initially, on election night, Backhouse was leading by two votes, but a recount revealed the one-vote margin.

Backhouse attributed her ability to handle the pressure to her training as a firefighter.

“It was a bit stressful, but I believe my firefighter background has equipped me to manage stress, and the result will be the best possible outcome,” she stated.

Reflecting on her first council campaign, Backhouse remarked, “I didn’t realize it was that uncommon.”

Buckingham, running for council for the third time, anticipated a tight race but didn’t expect such a narrow margin.

“You know every vote matters and it can be close… Two votes or one vote? You understand it’s possible, but you never really think it will come down to that,” Buckingham expressed.

Both candidates found it challenging to gauge the campaign’s progress, especially without the polling data typically available in larger cities.

“The campaign felt positive, and I received a lot of encouraging feedback. I was close but not quite there,” said Buckingham.

Neither candidate had doubts about their campaign strategy, with Buckingham emphasizing that “in an election campaign, there are infinite things you could or should be doing.”

While Buckingham had the option of seeking a judicial review, he deemed the recount sufficient for a final decision.

“I don’t believe that’s necessary for me,” Buckingham affirmed.

In the event of a tie vote, provincial law mandates that both candidates’ names would be written on paper, and a random selection would determine the winner.

Jack Lucas, a political scientist at the University of Calgary, described a one-vote difference as “quite rare.”

Close votes are common but ‘highly uncommon’

Lucas, part of the team behind the Canadian Municipal Election Database, which houses records of thousands of Canadian municipal elections, noted that while some elections are decided by a single vote, it is “extremely rare.”

Lucas highlighted research in political science indicating that some individuals view voting as irrational due to the minuscule probability of one vote determining the outcome of an election.

“The likelihood of a candidate winning by one vote, where your absence alters the result, is extremely slim. Yet, here we are. Sometimes, it does occur,” Lucas remarked.