Voters head to the polls in Calgary-Shaw byelection that could show city's political leanings

Voters in the Calgary-Shaw riding headed to the polls on Monday to cast their ballots in a byelection that political observers say will offer an early glimpse into the city’s political leanings ahead of the provincial election next spring.

The byelection, triggered by former UCP cabinet minister Rebecca Schulz’s decision to step away from provincial politics earlier this year, will also indicate existing support for the governing United Conservative Party’s track record, especially a little over a month before October’s referendum.

“This actually could be a really interesting race, even though a lot else is going on in Alberta politics at the same time,” Mount Royal University political science professor Lori Williams said in a recent Postmedia interview.

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The race includes an owner of a human resource consultancy, the president of the Somerset Residents’ Association and an insurance and finance professional, a Grade 6 social studies teacher, and a former Rocky View County councillor.

The governing UCP has held the riding since 2019 after clinching it from an NDP MLA when the party was in government from 2015 to 2019.

“Normally, suburban ridings tend to lean a little bit more conservative, but this one was NDP in 2015,” Williams said. “There’s sort of a moderate, centrist character to voters in that riding, so it’ll be very interesting to see if someone who seems to be associated with far-right supporters and issues suffers as a result of that.”

Canadian citizens over 18 residing in Calgary-Shaw are eligible to vote in the byelection. Those unsure whether they can vote must check “Where Do I Vote” on the Elections Alberta website.

Voters can also find their assigned voting location on the website or by contacting 1-877-422-VOTE (8683). Residents cannot vote at any station other than the one assigned to them.