On Oct. 1, the Progressive Conservative Party (PC) of Alberta will have a new leader, which means Alberta will have a new premier.
The dash to the finish consists of three runners: Gary Mar, Alison Redford and Doug Horner.
On Sept. 17, the first round of voting saw Mar take the lead with 24,195 votes, Redford in second with 11,129 votes and Horner in third with 8,635 votes.
Because no one candidate took 50 per cent plus one vote in that round, a second vote (or run-off vote) is needed to establish the clear victor — which will take place on Saturday.
However, to be eligible to vote first you must become a member of the PC Party of Alberta.
According to the PC association of Alberta webpage, this can happen one of four ways:
- Contact your local association president through the party website
- Contact any of the campaign teams through their websites
- Stop by the Calgary or Edmonton PC Alberta office during business hours
- Buy a membership at the any of the polls the day of the election, up until 7 p.m.
The Run-off Vote
Once you have your membership, or plan on getting one so you can get out and vote, you have to decide in what order you want to vote for the candidates.
According to the PC Party of Alberta website, when people cast their vote they declare their first and second choices, or just one if that is what they would prefer. If, after one round, a winner is declared with a 50 per cent plus one vote majority then they’re the winner and it goes no further.
However, in the event that no winner is declared it goes to a second count. In this case, the person in third spot is automatically eliminated and we are left with two candidates who initially received the most votes.
If when you voted you marked a “1” by your first choice and a “2” by your second choice and your first choice has been eliminated, your second choice is transferred.
After the run-off vote is tabulated in the first or second round a winner is declared.
Regardless of political beliefs, Saturday will determine our next premier. The only way one can have a say in this is if they become a member of the PC Party of Alberta and cast their vote on election day.
Who’s Left in the Race
Doug Horner
- Background in business
- Current MLA for Spruce Grove, Sturgeon and St. Albert
- Minister of Advanced Education and Technology from 2006 to present
- Led the creation of Campus Alberta
- Helped create Apply Alberta, a single application process for Alberta’s post-secondary institutions
- Served in Canada’s Armed Forces
Source: http://hornerforalberta.ca/
Gary Mar
- Background in law, appointed to Queen’s Council
- Alberta’s representative to the United States out of Washington, D.C.
- 14 years as an MLA for Calgary Nose Creek and Calgary McKay
- Cabinet Minister in five different portfolios; including Minister of Environment, Minister of Health and Wellness, International and Intergovernmental Relations
Source: http://garymar.ca/
Alison Redford
- Background in law
- Involved in politics since 1980
- Policy advisor to the right honorable Joe Clark
- Secretary of State for External Affairs and in the office of the Prime Minister of Canada from 1988 – 1990
- Worked on constitutional and legal reform issues in Africa for the European Union
- In 2005 she was appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations as one of four International Election Commissioners in Afghanistan’s first Parliamentary Election
Source: http://www.alisonredford.ca/
For information on how and where to vote, visit the Elections Alberta website.