I got up early and joined a couple of friends for a trip to our polling station in Edmonton-Strathcona this morning. Even though I'm not particularly excited about voting for the NDP, it felt good to know that my vote for Linda Duncan could make a difference in an expected tight race with the Conservative Party incumbent.Across the river, I've spoken to a decent amount of NDP and Green supporters who will be parking their support behind Jim Wachowich in Edmonton-Centre in his bid to dislodge their Conservative incumbent.
Looking a little further north, after spending the Thanksgiving weekend back home, I was very interested to discover that most of my family living in Westlock-St. Paul will be voting for the Green Party candidate -- Aden Murphy -- partly to send a message to their invisible Conservative MP and partly to give their support to a none-institutional party. If more rural Alberta voters are thinking this way, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Greens rack up some second place finishes across Alberta tonight.
If you haven't already voted, you have until 7:30pm Alberta time to get to your ballot box, so get out and vote!
UPDATE: I've received news that many of the polling stations in Edmonton-Strathcona are seriously understaffed -- meaning that there could be long lineups at the polls this evening. If you can get out and vote before the evening rush, you will likely be able to vote quicker!
Must be nice to be in a riding where there's a hope in hell of making a difference.
ReplyDeleteHere in Calgary East, if last time is any predictor, half the conservatives would have to stay home, and everybody voting otherwise would have to line up behind a single candidate just to make it race.
So I saved time and dropped 50 bucks to a couple of parties. Figured it'd do more good anyway.
My parents, like your relatives, also voted Green (they live in Edmonton-Spruce Grove), which caught me really off-guard. Wouldn't a substanital growth in the Green's share of the Alberta popular vote, be an interesting, unintutive turn of events?
ReplyDeleteI think people have always seriously underestimated how concerned the average Albertan is about the environment, precisely because we benefit from industries that are detrimental to it.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, studies have shown that the environment is more important to Albertans than people in other parts of the country.
Albertans are entrepreneurial, and independent. They have also never been selfish or irresponsible.
Strong growth for the Green party here would not surprise me at all. They have the major advantage of not being socialist, or Liberals.
Wild Rose north of Calgary lodged a Green candidate in second last election.
ReplyDeleteOn other notes, I had some difficulty at my poll this morning (Redeermer Lutheran Church in Ritchie) with employees who didn't quite comprehend how to register us. All ended well after some hassle though and we tallied two more NDP votes.
I wouldn't be surprised to see the Greens rack up some second place finishes across Alberta tonight.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, in only one riding across Canada did the Greens finish second in the 2006 election - Wild Rose, where Sean Maw finished more than thirty-three thousand votes behind Myron Thompson (and almost six hundred ahead of the third place Liberal).
My brother voted for Linda Duncan and my mom went for Claudette Roy. Should be an interesting race!
ReplyDeletePeace River... aaargh.
ReplyDeleteThanks for voting NDP. You are so fortunate to be in a riding that has a chance at being anything but Conservative. Can't wait to see the results tonight!!
ReplyDeletehere's to saying "goodbye" to Rahim Jaffer!
ReplyDelete