Strategic voting could shape tight races in Edmonton ridings

Canada’s federal election is shaping up to be a neck-and-neck race across the country — including in several ridings in Edmonton.

With many tight contests, will Canadians vote strategically instead of according to their conscience?

Strategic voting involves casting a ballot for a candidate you don’t necessarily prefer — but who has a better chance of defeating the candidate you strongly oppose. In this election, it could be a major factor in determining whether the Liberals win. Still, not every voter is buying into the idea.

Most Canada-wide polls show a close race between the Conservatives and the Liberals. In Edmonton, ridings like Edmonton Griesbach, Edmonton Manning, and Edmonton Northwest could experience vote-splitting among left-wing parties, according to advocates encouraging progressive voters to vote strategically.

“Edmonton Griesbach, with Blake Desjarlais, is currently suffering from a major vote-split. We’re telling our visitors to vote New Democrat there, because Blake is still the closest to beating the Conservatives,” said JB Burrows, who runs SmartVoting.ca.

SmartVoting.ca is a website that compiles polling data from across Canada to show voters which left-leaning party has the best chance of defeating the Conservatives in each riding.

Burrows told CityNews that there’s too much at stake this election to vote with your heart.

“People just don’t want what’s going on down south. That’s what I’m thinking about this election. I’m voting Liberal for the first time in my life — and I’m doing it with a pit in my stomach,” said Burrows. “But I value the safety and protection of our country more than voting along partisan lines.”

While many Canadians may be considering strategic voting, one expert warns it can be difficult to get a clear picture of what’s happening at the riding level.

“The best they can go by is polls, but a lot of those polls are based on national or sometimes provincial stats,” said Trevor Harrison, professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Lethbridge. “That doesn’t tell you about your particular riding — because it’s very rare that you get any kind of polling at that level.”

Canadians head to the polls on April 28.