All eyes on Calgary, undecided voters as Albertans hit the polls
Election day in Alberta has many agreeing it's a tight race between incumbent Danielle Smith of the United Conservative Party and NDP leader former premier Rachel Notley, in a campaign that has, in many ways, been unlike any other.
In the final push to get voters to the polls, the ground game is crucial, as that's when parties get their supporters to actually cast their vote. And for many, it seems there's a sense this election comes at a critical time. Advanced polling has been off the charts, with more than 750,000 Albertans casting their ballots before election day.
Lori Williams is a professor of political science at Mount Royal University in Calgary. She thinks the UCP's ground game may be a bit dusty. After all, the party has had a strong base, and little to no competition for years. The NDP, who many believe got protest votes in 2015, may be hungrier.
"I think it's really going to come down to who is not just better organized, but who can actually persuade these fence-sitting voters to come out and vote for them," Williams told CTV.
Williams added undecided voters in heavily populated Calgary and around Edmonton could decide if Notley wins or Smith returns to power. Edmonton typically votes left, Calgary right.
Stephen Carter, a campaign strategist and president of Decide Campaigns is focused on Calgary. He says there are two groups to watch.
"The first is racialized voters. They are breaking almost 2 to 1 for the NDP," explained Carter. "Women voters are breaking 15 to 20 percent higher for the NDP."
What could sway some voters, are endorsements from Conservative politicians who are voting for the NDP. Williams said she's never seen anything like this in Alberta.
Aside from leadership, two big issues facing voters are healthcare and finances.
In the past week, emergency room doctors warned they and the system are in crisis, and that it would get even worse under the UCP.
Williams said concerns around affordability and the economy are also top of mind, and those worried about jobs typically vote conservative.
Williams said there are also rumours that some UCP candidates are promising to get rid of Smith after the election. Even if she wins, the party is deeply divided.
Despite all the challenges -- recent polls suggest Smith may edge out Notley to get a majority of the 87 seats available .
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.