Alberta sees highest voter turnout since 1988 federal election, data shows

Nicholas Frew · CBC News

· Posted: May 01, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 6 minutes ago

Seven successful 10 voters successful Alberta formed a ballot successful the national election, the highest turnout successful the past twelve elections, Elections Canada information shows.  

The non-partisan agency, which conducts federal-level elections successful this country, was inactive waiting connected a fewer twelve polls to decorativeness reporting arsenic of Wednesday afternoon.

But its preliminary information suggests Alberta outpaced Canada's turnout for a 3rd consecutive election, contempt the state besides reporting its highest turnout successful decades.

"I was expecting it to beryllium high," said Alberta-based governmental pollster Janet Brown.

"Sometimes, Alberta doesn't propulsion higher than different places due to the fact that we've got a younger population, and younger radical are little apt to vote," she said. "What this speaks to is conscionable however superior Albertans are taking the issues that are connected the docket close now."

Alberta's elector turnout was conscionable nether 70 per cent, information shows, astir six points higher than the past national predetermination successful 2021. It was the highest proportionality since three-quarters of electors formed a ballot successful the 1988 election.

The state had the fifth-highest turnout among provinces and territories, and outpaced Canada's turnout of 68.7 per cent, information shows.

The nationalist turnout was the highest since the 1993 election.

Brown recovered it absorbing that elector turnout was connected par with the 1988 election, she said, due to the fact that determination were besides tensions with the U.S. astir escaped commercialized astatine that time.

"I haven't seen an predetermination similar this since 1988," she said.

She and Feodor Snagovsky, an adjunct prof of governmental subject astatine the University of Alberta, each noted that much radical thin to spell to the polls erstwhile they consciousness the state is facing important issues.

Some of the main concerns this election, Snagovsky said, were perceived threats from the U.S. connected Canada's sovereignty and the ongoing commercialized war, the rising outgo of surviving and lodging affordability.

"If [electors] deliberation the issues truly matter, they are overmuch much motivated to crook retired and vote. If they comprehend determination to beryllium a large quality betwixt the parties, radical crook retired and vote," helium said.

Snagovsky besides noted that Alberta's elector turnout successful this predetermination was akin to 2015. In some elections, helium said, determination was a tendency for change.

At the time, Stephen Harper and the Conservatives had governed for astir a decade. The Liberals, led by Justin Trudeau, won a bulk authorities successful 2015 and the enactment has remained successful powerfulness ever since, though it has had number governments after the past 3 elections. 

Almost 2.3 cardinal votes formed successful Alberta

About 2.3 cardinal Albertans voted successful the election. A CBC News investigation recovered that astir 1.3 cardinal — astir 60 per cent — of those ballots were submitted connected predetermination day.

Elections Canada reported grounds beforehand voting this election, including much than 815,000 ballots from Alberta. Advance votes made up much than one-third of the full ballots from Alberta, information shows.

The remaining votes came through special ballot. Data shows Elections Canada received 154,000 voting kits full from Alberta constituencies.  

The Liberals, led by Prime Minister Mark Carney, won a number authorities successful Monday's election, earning the enactment its 4th consecutive mandate. But astir each of Alberta's 37 seats went to the Conservatives — immoderate rather handily, information shows.

Conservative Blaine Calkins, for example, received astir 82 per cent of the votes formed successful the Ponoka-Didsbury riding successful cardinal Alberta. He bushed the second-place NDP by 71 percent points, the largest borderline of triumph retired of the province's ridings.

The province, historically, leans conservative.

Only 3 ridings were won by different parties. Edmonton Centre and Calgary Confederation ridings went to the Liberals, and NDP's Heather McPherson held onto her spot successful Edmonton Strathcona.

More than fractional of ridings saw 70% turnout

Nearly 4 successful 5 voters successful the Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan riding, eastbound of Edmonton, formed a ballot successful the predetermination — the top proportionality successful Alberta, information shows. Conservative incumbent Garnett Genuis won the riding with about 65.1 per cent of the vote. 

The riding saw the second-most ballots formed retired of the country's 343 constituencies, information shows. The Carleton riding successful Ottawa, which had 91 candidates, including Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, received the astir ballots. That riding was won by Liberal Bruce Fanjoy.

But astir of Alberta's ridings reported beardown turnouts, including much than fractional with astatine slightest 70 per cent of electors really voting.

About 56.2 per cent of voters successful the Calgary McKnight riding, successful the city's northeast, formed a ballot this predetermination — the lowest percent successful the province.

Only 1 different riding, Edmonton Griesbach, reported elector turnout beneath 60 per cent, information shows.

CBC News cannot accurately comparison elector turnout successful each riding, due to the fact that the boundaries were redrawn successful 2023 to set for colonisation growth.

Brown, the pollster, hopes Albertans enactment politically engaged — but she hopes the adjacent predetermination is little nerve-racking, she said.