Alberta's Upcoming Election

[skdadl]

So polls don't close until 8 p.m. your time -- that's 11 p.m. here, one of the few hours I can guarantee I will be asleep. Oh, well.

[Holly Stick]

8 pm Calgary time is 10 pm Toronto time.  Right now it's 7:10 here, so polls close in less than an hour.  At the school where I voted, they were also having parents register for some sports thing, so maybe that brought out a few more voters.  Mu MLA is Liberal, Harry Chase; I believe he's expected to win again.

[John_D]

Results have started to trickle in. Too early to tell much yet.

The NDs do have a lead in Peace River on the basis of one poll reporting. That'd be something of an upset if it holds up, I'd say.

[Holly Stick]

Sounds like Conservatives leading in a large proportion of races, and one is declared elected so far; a lot of ridings still to report.

[John_D]

On the basis of 6 of 71 polls, the Tories are leading over Rachel Notley in Edmonton-Strathcona by 42 votes.  

[Holly Stick]

Rachel Notley is elected.  They're already talking about her as the obvious heir to the NDP leadership.  It looks like Arthur Kent will lose to Liberal Dave Taylor.  

The results altogether are disappointing.  Albertans are the stupidest fucking voters in Canada!

[kuri]

The results altogether are disappointing.

Understatement of the year. Still haven't seen any voter turnout stats yet, if anecdotal evidence I've seen holds, very, very low turnout.

Losing David Eggen's seat in Calder is a big loss for Albertans. He was my favourite MLA. Very good on the environment and very hardworking.

[skdadl]

Hmmn. Have to practise up on my diplomatic skills.

[kuri]

41% turnout

Also, it's worth noting that the Cons got 53% of the popular vote but 88% of the seats. At a gathering of frustrated civil servants last night I was pushing Fair Vote Alberta. The optimist in me hopes that these numbers might net them some more members.

ETA: I crunched some numbers on it.

[sparqui]

Those are very depressing numbers kuri.

[GDKitty]

: to the Albertan BnRs

[arborman]

So, do Edmonton and Calgary still have 2/3 of the population and 1/3 of the seats?

[kuri]

Yes. Though the census redistributions (rather conveniently scheduled for just after the election) might force that to change.

Or may there's hundreds of geographers tasked with created a whole bunch more constituencies like mine: lop off a bit of the lefty neighbourhoods in Edmonton, and tack them onto a big chunk of rural Strathcona county....

Thanks, kitty - I needed that. :)

[Alison]

53% of the vote got the Cons 88% of the seats, but if you also factor in voter turnout - 43% urban & 39% rural - then it actually means 21% of all eligible voters elected 88% of the seats.
 :evil:
Nice pie charts, Kuri.

[Toedancer]

Leopold said

Two thoughts: 1, if the government cannot even achieve a simple TURNOUT majority (ie, 50% of the voters actually vote!) The election should be declared null an void and restarted until there is a proper turnout. Why should our system not even live up to the same majority standard (and simple majority is a pretty lame standard at that!) our elected leaders must live up to?

I agree we are in crisis.