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The 26th Alberta general election is due to be called no later than March 2006. However, as of this writing Premier Ralph Klein has said he will call the election for November 2004. This means the writ will likely be dropped in October.
Electoral Re-distribution
Current Albertan electoral laws fix the number of legislature seats at 83. Prior to the 26th general election, the Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission was given the task of re-distributing the province's electoral divisions. In February 2003, the Commission recommended 83 new divisions as follows:
No. | Name | Pop. (2001) | Var. to Prov. Avg. | Var. to Cat. Avg. |
1 | Dunvegan | 24,202 | (32.70%) | N/A |
2 | Calgary-Bow | 39,604 | 10.20% | 5.10% |
3 | Calgary-Buffalo | 39,357 | 9.50% | 4.40% |
4 | Calgary-Cross | 39,524 | 9.90% | 4.90% |
5 | Calgary-Currie | 39,340 | 9.40% | 4.40% |
6 | Calgary-East | 38,655 | 7.50% | 2.60% |
7 | Calgary-Egmont | 37,423 | 4.10% | (0.70%) |
8 | Calgary-Elbow | 38,906 | 8.20% | 3.20% |
9 | Calgary-Fish Creek | 36,457 | 1.40% | (3.30%) |
10 | Calgary-Foothills | 36,415 | 1.30% | (3.40%) |
11 | Calgary-Fort | 39,155 | 8.90% | 3.90% |
12 | Calgary-Glenmore | 37,770 | 5.10% | 0.20% |
13 | Calgary-Hays | 36,258 | 0.90% | (3.80%) |
14 | Calgary-Lougheed | 36,702 | 2.10% | (2.60%) |
15 | Calgary-MacKay | 37,803 | 5.20% | 0.30% |
16 | Calgary-McCall | 36,458 | 1.40% | (3.20%) |
17 | Calgary-Montrose | 39,276 | 9.20% | 4.20% |
18 | Calgary-Mountain View | 39,586 | 10.10% | 5.10% |
19 | Calgary-North Hill | 38,465 | 7.00% | 2.10% |
20 | Calgary-North West | 39,246 | 9.20% | 4.20% |
21 | Calgary-Nose Hill | 38,622 | 7.40% | 2.50% |
22 | Calgary-Shaw | 35,966 | 0.00% | (4.60%) |
23 | Calgary-Varsity | 39,691 | 10.40% | 5.30% |
24 | Calgary-West | 38,187 | 6.20% | 1.30% |
25 | Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview | 37,797 | 5.10% | 0.30% |
26 | Edmonton-Calder | 37,190 | 3.40% | (1.30%) |
27 | Edmonton-Castle Downs | 37,570 | 4.50% | (0.30%) |
28 | Edmonton-Centre | 35,096 | (2.40%) | (6.90%) |
29 | Edmonton-Decore | 35,570 | (1.10%) | (5.60%) |
30 | Edmonton-Ellerslie | 35,707 | (0.70%) | (5.20%) |
31 | Edmonton-Glenora | 36,766 | 2.30% | (2.40%) |
32 | Edmonton-Gold Bar | 37,052 | 3.10% | (1.70%) |
33 | Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood | 38,418 | 6.90% | 2.00% |
34 | Edmonton-Jasper Place | 36,483 | 1.50% | (3.20%) |
35 | Edmonton-Manning | 37,410 | 4.10% | (0.70%) |
36 | Edmonton-McClung | 38,266 | 6.40% | 1.50% |
37 | Edmonton-Mill Creek | 36,545 | 1.70% | (3.00%) |
38 | Edmonton-Mill Woods | 38,339 | 6.60% | 1.70% |
39 | Edmonton-Riverview | 37,059 | 3.10% | (1.70%) |
40 | Edmonton-Rutherford | 36,420 | 1.30% | (3.30%) |
41 | Edmonton-Strathcona | 37,014 | 3.00% | (1.80%) |
42 | Edmonton-Whitemud | 37,402 | 4.00% | (0.70%) |
43 | Airdrie-Chestermere | 37,651 | 4.70% | 5.70% |
44 | Athabasca-Redwater | 34,772 | (3.30%) | 4.70% |
45 | Banff-Cochrane | 35,593 | (1.00%) | (0.10%) |
46 | Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock | 35,086 | (2.40%) | 5.60% |
47 | Battle River-Wainwright | 31,042 | (13.70%) | (6.50%) |
48 | Bonnyville-Cold Lake | 31,289 | (13.00%) | (12.20%) |
49 | Calmar-Drayton Valley-Millet | 34,279 | (4.70%) | 3.20% |
50 | Cardston-Taber-Warner | 31,755 | (11.70%) | (4.40%) |
51 | Cypress-Medicine Hat | 31,513 | (12.30%) | (11.50%) |
52 | Drumheller-Stettler | 33,483 | (6.90%) | 0.80% |
53 | Foothills-Rocky View | 33,397 | (7.10%) | 0.60% |
54 | Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville | 36,172 | 0.60% | 1.50% |
55 | Grande Prairie-Smoky | 36,178 | 0.60% | 1.60% |
56 | Grande Prairie-Wapiti | 32,987 | (8.20%) | (7.40%) |
57 | Highwood | 31,410 | (12.60%) | (11.80%) |
58 | Innisfail-Sylvan Lake | 36,076 | 0.30% | 8.60% |
59 | Lac La Biche-St. Paul | 35,230 | (2.00%) | 6.10% |
60 | Lacombe-Ponoka | 35,065 | (2.50%) | 5.60% |
61 | Leduc-Beaumont-Devon | 37,378 | 4.00% | 4.90% |
62 | Lesser Slave Lake | 27,731 | (22.90%) | (16.50%) |
63 | Lethbridge-East | 34,684 | (3.50%) | (2.60%) |
64 | Lethbridge-West | 32,695 | (9.10%) | (8.20%) |
65 | Little Bow | 32,897 | (8.50%) | (1.00%) |
66 | Livingstone-Macleod | 33,534 | (6.70%) | 1.00% |
67 | Medicine Hat | 35,889 | (0.20%) | 0.70% |
68 | Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills | 32,738 | (8.90%) | (1.40%) |
69 | Peace River | 31,655 | (11.90%) | (4.70%) |
70 | Red Deer-North | 36,115 | 0.50% | 1.40% |
71 | Red Deer-South | 36,424 | 1.30% | 2.30% |
72 | Rocky Mountain House | 33,313 | (7.30%) | 0.30% |
73 | Sherwood Park | 35,360 | (1.60%) | (0.70%) |
74 | Spruce Grove-Sturgeon-St. Albert | 37,216 | 3.50% | 4.50% |
75 | St. Albert | 39,160 | 8.90% | 9.90% |
76 | Stony Plain | 37,410 | 4.10% | 12.60% |
77 | Strathcona | 36,435 | 1.30% | 2.30% |
78 | Strathmore-Brooks | 38,140 | 6.10% | 7.10% |
79 | Vermilion-Lloydminster | 30,675 | (14.70%) | (13.90%) |
80 | West Yellowhead | 29,349 | (18.40%) | (11.60%) |
81 | Wetaskiwin-Camrose | 37,750 | 5.00% | 6.00% |
82 | Whitecourt-Ste. Anne | 32,251 | (10.30%) | (2.90%) |
83 | Wood Buffalo | 42,971 | 19.50% | 20.60% |
As a result of the re-distribution, Calgary gains two seats. Edmonton loses one seat, and one special consideration division is eliminated. Dunvegan is the sole remaining "special" division - due to its isolation it is allowed to have a population below 75% of the provinvial average. Lesser Slave Lake is now considered to be a standard rural division as its boundaries were re-drawn so that its population is slightly above 75% of the provincial average. One urbanized division outside Calgary and Edmonton was added, and two rural seats were eliminated.
Political Parties
As of this writing, there are 11 political parties registered with Elections Alberta.
To be added: a brief summary of each party.
Parties which elected MLA's in the previous election
Leader: Ralph Klein
Leader: Kevin Taft
Interim Leader: Brian Mason
Other parties
Leader: Randy Thorsteinson
Leader: George Read
Leader: Bruce Stubbs
Leader: Lavern Ahlstrom
Leader: Naomi Rankin
Leader: Emil van der Poorten
Leader: David Salmon
Interim Leader: Bruce Hutton
Standings in the 25th Legislature
Standings after the 25th General Election
Political Party | Calgary | Edmonton | Urbanized | Rural | Special | Totals |
Progressive Conservative | 21 | 11 | 20 | 20 | 2 | 74 |
Liberal | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
New Democrat | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Totals | 21 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 2 | 83 |
Current Standings
Political Party | Calgary | Edmonton | Urbanized | Rural | Special | Totals |
Progressive Conservative | 21 | 10 | 20 | 20 | 2 | 73 |
Liberal | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
New Democrat | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Alberta Alliance | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Vacant | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Totals | 21 | 19 | 21 | 20 | 2 | 83 |