Showing posts with label Alberta election results. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alberta election results. Show all posts
Monday, April 23, 2012
Progressive Conservatives win majority again in Alberta
From the polls it looked as if the Wildrose party might win a minority or even majority government. However the polls were wrong. In fact the popular vote was running at almost 44 per cent for the PCs and just around 36 per cent for the Wildrose as I am writing this at just about ten thirty PM central time.
The CBC has just declared that there will be a majority Conservative government even though many ridings are still too close to declare who is elected. But the figures show the situation: The Conservatives are leading in 60 seats the Wildrose in 19 the NDP in 4 and the Liberals in 4. The NDP has doubled their numbers if they actually win whereas the Liberals seem to have lost several seats.
Some Liberal voters may have decided to vote PC to keep the Wildrose out but the NDP vote percentage held. Over the weekend many who earlier intended to vote for the Wildrose must have changed their mind or perhaps the undecided voters chose to vote for the Progressive Conservatives. I did not think that the strategic voting campaign was working but perhaps it did have some effect although not on New Democratic Party voters. The Conservatives have been in power in Alberta for over 40 years.
UPDATE : Results here as of April 24th
Progressive Conservatives elected in 61 seats and leading in one, Wildrose Party elected in 17, NDP elected in 4 and Liberals elected in 4. Popular vote:: PC 43.9 , Wildrose 34.5, NDP 9.8, Liberal 9.6.
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Low voter turnout in Alberta election being questioned.
This is from the CBC. If there were some proportional representation type of voting system perhaps more people might vote but then no one has been able to convince enough people in any province to support such a system so far!
Interesting that the article fails to mention that a low turnout was supposed to be bad for the Conservatives, yet they won 72. If there had been a high turnout maybe he would have had 80 to 83 and then the squealing would be even louder.
The headline is a no-brainer. Are people questioning that there was a low turnout?
Low voter turnout in Alberta election being questioned
Last Updated: Wednesday, March 5, 2008 | 12:02 PM MT Comments21Recommend24CBC News
As Premier Ed Stelmach and Alberta Conservatives savour their sweeping election victory, some people are raising a nagging concern: why so few people bothered to vote.
Only 41 per cent of the province's 2,252,104 eligible voters cast ballots in Monday's election, a record low.
Voter turnout in Monday's election was the lowest in Alberta's history.
(CBC) "It's rather exceptional," Peter Loewen, an associate at the University of Montreal's Canada Research Chair of Electoral Studies told CBC News on Wednesday. He said the figure is the lowest turnout for a Canadian provincial election in the last 50 years.
Alberta is not alone in seeing the downward trend in voting, particularly with the younger population, he said. It's a problem Loewen thinks will only get worse.
"If you don't vote in your first election, we know it means you won't vote in your second one or your third one. It's habit forming," he said.
Stelmach also concerned
Despite taking 72 of 83 seats, Stelmach also expressed worries Tuesday about the number of no-shows.
'On a day that we lost a young soldier born and raised in Edmonton, it is a bit disappointing because that's what people fight for—the democratic right to vote.'
—Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach"On a day that we lost a young soldier born and raised in Edmonton, it is a bit disappointing because that's what people fight for, the democratic right to vote," he said.
Others are questioning the whether the traditional system of electing candidates is serving the best interests of Albertans.
"Many of my acquaintances who lean toward the policies of the Green, NDP or Liberal parties have ceased voting. They say their votes would be wasted under the current first-past-the-post system," Edmonton voter Richard Rehman said.
"Had the seat count been determined by popular vote, we would see: PCs 44; Liberal 21; NDP 8; Alliance 6; Green 4. This would be a much more representative government," he added.
The Tory landslide left the opposition parties in disarray, reducing the Liberals from 16 seats to nine, and cutting the four-seat NDP caucus in half.
Don't have to vote: political scientist
But voters in a democracy also have a right to not vote if they choose, political scientist Duane Bratt of Calgary's Mount Royal College said Wednesday.
"I don't think that we should be berating these people or say they don't respect democracy," said Bratt.
People may just be expressing their satisfaction with the government in power, he said.
"I think the decision not to vote should be just as important as the decision to vote."
Interesting that the article fails to mention that a low turnout was supposed to be bad for the Conservatives, yet they won 72. If there had been a high turnout maybe he would have had 80 to 83 and then the squealing would be even louder.
The headline is a no-brainer. Are people questioning that there was a low turnout?
Low voter turnout in Alberta election being questioned
Last Updated: Wednesday, March 5, 2008 | 12:02 PM MT Comments21Recommend24CBC News
As Premier Ed Stelmach and Alberta Conservatives savour their sweeping election victory, some people are raising a nagging concern: why so few people bothered to vote.
Only 41 per cent of the province's 2,252,104 eligible voters cast ballots in Monday's election, a record low.
Voter turnout in Monday's election was the lowest in Alberta's history.
(CBC) "It's rather exceptional," Peter Loewen, an associate at the University of Montreal's Canada Research Chair of Electoral Studies told CBC News on Wednesday. He said the figure is the lowest turnout for a Canadian provincial election in the last 50 years.
Alberta is not alone in seeing the downward trend in voting, particularly with the younger population, he said. It's a problem Loewen thinks will only get worse.
"If you don't vote in your first election, we know it means you won't vote in your second one or your third one. It's habit forming," he said.
Stelmach also concerned
Despite taking 72 of 83 seats, Stelmach also expressed worries Tuesday about the number of no-shows.
'On a day that we lost a young soldier born and raised in Edmonton, it is a bit disappointing because that's what people fight for—the democratic right to vote.'
—Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach"On a day that we lost a young soldier born and raised in Edmonton, it is a bit disappointing because that's what people fight for, the democratic right to vote," he said.
Others are questioning the whether the traditional system of electing candidates is serving the best interests of Albertans.
"Many of my acquaintances who lean toward the policies of the Green, NDP or Liberal parties have ceased voting. They say their votes would be wasted under the current first-past-the-post system," Edmonton voter Richard Rehman said.
"Had the seat count been determined by popular vote, we would see: PCs 44; Liberal 21; NDP 8; Alliance 6; Green 4. This would be a much more representative government," he added.
The Tory landslide left the opposition parties in disarray, reducing the Liberals from 16 seats to nine, and cutting the four-seat NDP caucus in half.
Don't have to vote: political scientist
But voters in a democracy also have a right to not vote if they choose, political scientist Duane Bratt of Calgary's Mount Royal College said Wednesday.
"I don't think that we should be berating these people or say they don't respect democracy," said Bratt.
People may just be expressing their satisfaction with the government in power, he said.
"I think the decision not to vote should be just as important as the decision to vote."
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Low turnout clouds election result
A low turnout was supposed to be detrimental for the Conservatives and good for the opposition parties. Imagine what would have happened if there had been a good turnout. Turnout was particularly low in rural areas but it seems not to have hurt the Conservatives.
Somehow I get the idea that the media and the opposition parties really have trouble accepting the fact that Albertans prefer hayseed Stelmach. They were supposed to vote for Taft since the Conservatives have the "wrong" leader as far as many of the Alberta elite are concerned. Of course for the Wild Rosers Stelmach is a raving socialist!
This is from the Calgary Herald.
Low turnout clouds election result
Tony Seskus and Renata D'Aliesio, Calgary Herald
Published: Tuesday, March 04, 2008
CALGARY - Alberta's "shameful" voter turnout for the provincial election sparked anger and disappointment Tuesday, with analysts trying to figure out the root of the apathy and Liberals calling for a probe of voting problems.
Only 41.3 per cent of eligible Albertans cast ballots on Monday - a record low for the province and the worst to elect any current sitting government in the country. The PCs won 72 seats, the Liberals nine and the NDP only two.
Somehow I get the idea that the media and the opposition parties really have trouble accepting the fact that Albertans prefer hayseed Stelmach. They were supposed to vote for Taft since the Conservatives have the "wrong" leader as far as many of the Alberta elite are concerned. Of course for the Wild Rosers Stelmach is a raving socialist!
This is from the Calgary Herald.
Low turnout clouds election result
Tony Seskus and Renata D'Aliesio, Calgary Herald
Published: Tuesday, March 04, 2008
CALGARY - Alberta's "shameful" voter turnout for the provincial election sparked anger and disappointment Tuesday, with analysts trying to figure out the root of the apathy and Liberals calling for a probe of voting problems.
Only 41.3 per cent of eligible Albertans cast ballots on Monday - a record low for the province and the worst to elect any current sitting government in the country. The PCs won 72 seats, the Liberals nine and the NDP only two.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
The Stelmach Stun Gun
Stelmach stunned those Calgary media and Oil Patch Dinning supporters. The Calgary kingmakers have lost power to rural Alberta and it would seem difficult for them to usurp power from Stelmach or dethrone him anytime soon. They will just have to learn how to work with him. Rather than lose seats or even a majority Stelmach added 12 and left only 9 for the Libs and 2 for the hapless NDP.
This is from the Ottawa Citizen.
My predictions were as I thought too low on the Conservatives even though I predicted more than anyone who wrote in to Calgary Grit! I guess I read too many articles suggesting how browned off Albertans were and thought this might change the outcome even though the polls showed a quite different story. The media sure knows how to cherry pick polls sometimes.
This is from the Ottawa Citizen.
My predictions were as I thought too low on the Conservatives even though I predicted more than anyone who wrote in to Calgary Grit! I guess I read too many articles suggesting how browned off Albertans were and thought this might change the outcome even though the polls showed a quite different story. The media sure knows how to cherry pick polls sometimes.
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