'It's more convenient': Alberta advance vote numbers surge
Elections Alberta says more than 317,000 Albertans have voted so far in this week's advance vote, which is still on pace to break records.
Over the first two days of advance voting, 317,461 early ballots were cast, which is approximately 45 per cent of all advance ballots submitted in the 2019 general election.
According to Elections Alberta, more than 696,000 Albertans voted early that year.
Stephen Carter, president of political strategy company Decide Campaigns, says "advance votes are everything for this election."
"I think that shows how excited people are to vote," Carter said. "We've seen a shift to advance polls before.
"Over the last 10 years, you used to require a reason to vote in advance polls. Now you just go to advance polls because it's more convenient."
A lot of that comes from Election Alberta's Vote Anywhere concept that allows any Albertan to go to any advance poll in the province to cast their ballot.
"That is super easy for people," Carter said.
Carter says both Smith and Notley's campaign managers are reaching into every area they can for support.
"We saw Rachel Notley doing an event side-by-side with Danielle Smith last night: Smith was in Glenmore, Notley was in Acadia. Both of those ridings are absolutely essential."
Despite that vigor, neither party seems to be gaining much momentum, according to Carter.
"It's been a dog fight from day one of this campaign," he said.
"Two months prior to that, there's been negatives associated with both parties; tremendous challenges for each of the leaders as they push through and try to win this election."
The record for advance ballots was broken during the first two days of early voting, when approximately 276,000 votes were cast on Tuesday and Wednesday – more than the number cast during all four days of advance voting in the 2015 general election.
Advance voting is open until Saturday.
(With files from Jacqueline Wilson)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump making 'joke' about Canada becoming 51st state is 'reassuring': Ambassador Hillman
Canada’s ambassador to the U.S. insists it’s a good sign U.S. president-elect Donald Trump feels 'comfortable' joking with Canadian officials, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Mexico president says Canada has a 'very serious' fentanyl problem
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is not escalating a war of words with Mexico, after the Mexican president criticized Canada's culture and its framing of border issues.
Quebec doctors who refuse to stay in public system for 5 years face $200K fine per day
Quebec's health minister has tabled a bill that would force new doctors trained in the province to spend the first five years of their careers working in Quebec's public health network.
Freeland says it was 'right choice' for her not to attend Mar-a-Lago dinner with Trump
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says it was 'the right choice' for her not to attend the surprise dinner with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at Mar-a-Lago with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump on Friday night.
'Sleeping with the enemy': Mistrial in B.C. sex assault case over Crown dating paralegal
The B.C. Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for a man convicted of sexual assault after he learned his defence lawyer's paralegal was dating the Crown prosecutor during his trial.
Bad blood? Taylor Swift ticket dispute settled by B.C. tribunal
A B.C. woman and her daughter will be attending one of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour shows in Vancouver – but only after a tribunal intervened and settled a dispute among friends over tickets.
Eminem's mother Debbie Nelson, whose rocky relationship fuelled the rapper's lyrics, dies at age 69
Debbie Nelson, the mother of rapper Eminem whose rocky relationship with her son was known widely through his hit song lyrics, has died. She was 69.
NDP won't support Conservative non-confidence motion that quotes Singh
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he won't play Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's games by voting to bring down the government on an upcoming non-confidence motion.
Canadians warned to use caution in South Korea after martial law declared then lifted
Global Affairs Canada is warning Canadians in South Korea to avoid demonstrations and exercise caution after the country's president imposed an hours-long period of martial law.