Boost in advance voters shows election 'more competitive'
While official numbers have yet to be calculated, one Calgary political scientist says the fact three times the number of Albertans voted in advance polls leading up to Tuesday’s election than in 2015 suggests the electorate is engaged.
Melanee Thomas, assistant professor in the University of Calgary’s political science department, says the surge in numbers isn’t surprising given that people were allowed to vote anywhere in the province rather than only in their electoral division, with Elections Alberta opening 260 locations for the April 9 to 13 period.
Of the 696,000 people who voted in advance polls, 223,000 took advantage of the new rule. Thomas says this could simply be for convenience, in which case the 2019 turnout may not vary all that much, and in fact may even decrease compared to 2015’s 57.1 per cent. That turnout was the highest in 22 years. Voter turnout in 2012 was 54.4 per cent.
“I have seen things that are unprecedented, but I don’t think pointing out that candidates say things that seem to be offside in terms of equity and diversity, I don’t think pointing that out is nasty,” Thomas says. Thomas said any boost in numbers this election would likely be due to specific constituencies being spurred into action. That could include younger, mostly male voters who are not in post-secondary studies and are concerned about the economy, which should bode well for the United Conservative Party. But she said there could also be a boost in left-leaning voters thanks to a viable left-wing choice, which is a relatively new political development in this province.
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