Calgary in the spotlight as Albertans head to the polls
All of the campaigning and political posturing has led to this.
Alberta electors who have yet to cast their ballots will head to the polls on Monday following a gruelling and contentious campaign trail from both the United Conservative Party and the Alberta NDP.
A record number of voters have already decided, with 758,550 advance votes cast in the week leading up to election day.
That surpassed the record set back in 2019 when 700,476 voters showed up to the polls early.
As has been the case since the first day of campaigning, there is a lot of attention on Calgary and its 26 electoral divisions.
Before the election was called, the UCP held 23 of those seats.
Rachel Notley and the Alberta NDP will likely need to flip that number around and win the majority of Calgary to form government.
RIDINGS TO WATCH
The Calgary-Elbow electoral division is one that political watchers are keeping a keen eye on.
The UCP won that seat in 2019, with Doug Schweitzer serving as the MLA before resigning last summer. Since then, the riding has remained vacant.
Calgary-Elbow candidates include Chris Davis with the UCP, Samir Kayande for the Alberta NDP, Kerry Cundal representing the Alberta Party and Solidarity Movement of Alberta Party leader Artur Pawlowski.
In 2015, the then-leader of the Alberta Party, Greg Clark, was elected as the MLA for Calgary-Elbow. That is the last time the party has won a seat, despite some strong support for Clark and the party in 2019.
This time around, it's Cundal who will be looking to play spoiler to the NDP and UCP to snatch up what is likely the only seat the Alberta Party has a chance of winning.
Calgary-Varsity is another electoral division that could go either way between the NDP and UCP.
Jason Copping won that seat in the last election, but only by a margin of 638 votes.
In 2015, the area voted in NDP candidate Stephanie McLean after the Progressive Conservatives and the Wildrose Party split the conservative vote, which was essentially the story of the 2015 election.
This time around, the candidates are Luanne Metz with the NDP and Jason Copping for the UCP.
Calgary-Acadia is another seat that flipped from NDP to UCP in the last election.
Tyler Shandro won the seat for the UCP in 2019 and will be looking to defend his position against four other candidates.
Diana Batten is representing the NDP, Paul Bechthold is the candidate for the Green Party of Alberta, Larry Heather is running as an independent, Linda McClelland is for the Solidarity Movement, and Donna Kathleen Scott is with the Wildrose Loyalty Coalition.
Unlike in advance voting, electors must vote at their designated voting location between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.
More information on where to vote and which candidates are running in each electoral division can be found here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels will take the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
NEW Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Defence attacks Stormy Daniels' credibility as she returns to the stand in Trump's hush money trial
Stormy Daniels will return to the witness stand Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial as the defence tries to undermine the credibility of the porn actor's salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter and the money she was paid to keep quiet.
With contactless screening tech, this Toronto startup hopes to catch breast cancer early — and save lives
Amid evidence of rising breast cancer rates among young women in Canada, one Toronto startup is offering a contactless and radiation-free device that can help doctors identify suspicious changes in breast tissue. The company, Linda Lifetech, says this can lead to earlier detection of breast cancer.
Tornadoes tear through southeastern U.S. as storms leave 3 dead
Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could wash over parts of the South early Thursday, a day after severe weather with damaging tornadoes and large hail killed at least three people in the region.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.