Helen Shwery named winner of Cambridge Ward 1 by-election

The unofficial winner of the Cambridge Ward 1 by-election Helen Shwery is seen in this undated photo. (Source: helenshwery.com)

Cambridge residents have cast their ballots and picked a new city councillor.

The city announced late Monday that Helen Shwery was named the unofficial winner of the Ward 1 by-election with 944 total votes. They later confirmed the victory on Tuesday.

The three other candidates vying for the seat were Michelle Goodridge, Richard Kaufman and Karl Kiefer.

"On behalf of Cambridge City Council, I want to welcome Helen Shwery to Cambridge City Council”, said Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett in a news release. "I am confident that Councillor Shwery will bring a unique point of view to decisions made at Council and be a passionate advocate for residents of Ward 1. It will be good to have a full complement of council once again and we look forward to having Helen as part of our team."

The Ward 1 seat has been vacant since Councillor Donna Reid passed away in August.

VOTER TURNOUT DROPS

In the 2022 municipal election, about 3,000 people voted in the Ward 1 race.

There was a significant drop in Monday’s byelection.

The city said a total of 1,920 people cast a ballot to pick a new councillor.

Despite multiple ways to vote, from online to advance polls, turnout was down by one-third.

VOTE BREAKDOWN

Online voting:

• Michelle Goodridge: 207
• Richard Kaufman: 77
• Karl Kiefer: 464
• Helen Shwery: 756

Special location/at-home voting:

• Michelle Goodridge: 11
• Richard Kaufman: 0
• Karl Kiefer: 25
• Helen Shwery: 19

Advance voting:

• Michelle Goodridge: 7
• Richard Kaufman: 11
• Karl Kiefer: 55
• Helen Shwery: 31

Election Day (Nov. 13):

• Michelle Goodridge: 31
• Richard Kaufman: 9
• Karl Kiefer: 79
• Helen Shwery: 138

Total votes:

• Michelle Goodridge: 256
• Richard Kaufman: 97
• Karl Kiefer: 623
• Helen Shwery: 944

Total votes cast: 1,920