Strategic voting could tip the scales

As the provincial election battle intensifies between the two parties on the political right, people who might have been considering voting for one of the left-leaning parties could resort to strategic voting.

“Strategic voting is all about preventing your least favourite candidate from winning,” explains Grant MacEwan University political scientist Chaldeans Mensah.

It’s a trend that’s becoming more prominent as April 23rd nears. Numerous signs and websites have been popping up around the province encouraging people to vote strategically, given how close the Wildrose and Progressive Conservative parties have been polling.

A YouTube video, designed by a group from Calgary, is targeting people who could be swayed to vote for Alison Reford’s PCs, just to prevent a Wildrose victory. It’s called “I never thought I’d vote PC.”
The video shows several young Albertans lamenting the way in which they feel the province will be portrayed under a Wildrose government. They reference homophobic remarks by a Wildrose candidate and argue the budget doesn’t make sense.

In a statement to Global News, the group behind the video says, "we must stress, we are not affiliated with any party - not funded by or organized by - any party. We are simply young people who have a strong opinion." The statement goes on to say, "we did not mean to offend anyone. This was a tongue and cheek satire."

In Edmonton, a group called Change Alberta is posting signs reading “No to PC/Wildrose. Yes to strategic voting.” Its campaign encourages people to vote for one of the two parties currently trailing in the polls – the New Democratic Party or the Liberals.

Alvin Finkel, a spokesperson for Change Alberta, says the group formed “as a reaction to the last election where 40 per cent of voters voted to the left of the Conservatives, but only 11 per cent of MLAs came from those parties. We figured it was important that progressive voters vote strategically and ensure that they get a good representation in the legislature.”

Despite the efforts of Change Alberta, Mensah suggests the parties that stand to lose the most should Albertans opt to vote strategically are the Liberals and NDP. This would be especially relevant in ridings where voters already feel it’s a two-way race between the Wildrose and PC.

“You have to make a strategic calculation whether your vote is best packed with your candidate or are you going to be caught up in this contest between the Conservatives and the Wild Rose. If you do so, it means you're going to have to vote for one of the two and abandon your traditional voting preferences."

It won’t always work though, he says. “The problem with strategic voting is that you can organize it, but at the end of the day, it’s one person going to the ballot box.”

Mensah still believes strategic voting will come into play on April 23rd because of the polarized nature of this particular election. He says the people most likely to vote strategically are those who feel their vote won’t count because they aren’t supporting one of the two front-runners.