Voter enumeration was traditionally done by the City for every municipal election. In election years, taking the civic census and enumerating for the election were done at the same time. However, no civic census had been taken in Edmonton between 1993 and 1999. The practice of using a voters' list was discontinued in 1995 when the City Clerk's office recommended that the 1995 municipal election be held without a voters' list. In October 1997 the City Council again accepted the City Clerk's recommendation not to use a voters' list in the 1998 election. The reason for this was the cost of the list: $816,000 if the City compiled its own list, or $400,000 if the City purchased the most recent list used by the province. The provincial list, however, does not include information about whether voters support the public or separate school boards. (Edmonton Journal, October 8, 1997, p. B4)

A voters' list is not required to hold a municipal election. The Local Authorities Election Act, section 52, states that "Every person who attends at a voting station for the purpose of voting shall be permitted to vote:

1. if the person's name appears on the list of electors, if any, or
2. if the person makes a statement, in the prescribed form, that the person is eligible to vote as an elector

An eligible person can vote in Edmonton municipal elections by filling out a form providing a name and address.