Attribution to Dave Cornoyer

A few major events on the political landscape this week. Trump’s world jeeps falling apart. A debt ceiling settlement has been reached where nobody is happy, and a vote will be help later this week. But, utmost, in the mind of Albertans, there is an election today.

Rachel Notley, head of the NDP, pictured above, will be facing off against Danielle Smith, current premier and leader of the UCP. Many Albertans are said not to have really been focused on this election, given our forest fire situation. However, early voting records were shattered, with near 760,00 votes already being cast This beats the previous high of 700,000 back in 2019.

Both have been/are Premiers. Notley was Premier from from 2015 to 2019. Smith usurped Jason Kenney, former leader of the UCP to become Premier, last year. Notley promises to fix our ailing health care system. Smith promises to increase business presence in the province by reducing corporate income tax. Smith comes into the election with a huge budget surplus. She has done this by riding on the tails of high oil revenues. Notley was a supporter of vaccine Mandates. Smith was not.

Like many jurisdictions, Alberta has a great divide. Rural areas will vote heavily for the UCP. Urban areas will favour the NDP. The Liberals are non-existent in Alberta, provincially.

The election is basically too close to call.