Ballot boxes in 4 federal by-elections may be light tonight, as it is the day before Canada Day, our national holiday.
Photo Credit: CBC

By-elections in 4 ridings including Fort McMurray

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By-elections are underway in four federal ridings across Canada today. There are two in the most populous province of Ontario, in the Greater Toronto Area.  The two others are taking place in Alberta; one in the Calgary region, the other in the heart of Alberta’s booming oil sands in Fort MacMurry.  This one is being closely watched to see whether the solidly conservative, right of centre riding, might move toward the centre, and the Liberal Party.

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They’re voting today in Fort McMurray, Alberta © CBC

Liberal Party most popular in current polls.

The Liberals, with leader Justin Trudeau and former Prime Minister, Paul Martin having visited the riding to speak with voters, worked hard to move the riding to support their candidate, Kyle Harrietha.  The conservative incumbent is David Yurdiga.

Voter turn-out, however, is not expected to be great, as this is the day before Canada Day, our national holiday. Many people took the day off work to make an extra-long weekend of it, and are not even in their ridings to vote.

There is a lot at stake, however. The two ridings in Toronto have candidates and incumbents switching from municipal politics to federal, and vice-versa.

Left of centre, New Democrat Olivia Chow, the former Member of Parliament for the Trinity-Spadina riding, stepped down to run for mayor of Toronto. According to polls she is comfortably ahead of incumbent, Rob Ford.

Adam Vaughan, the man many think will replace her, is the Liberal candidate, and one of the stars of the growing Liberal movement.

Assistant Professor Nelson Wiseman, of the University of Toronto’s Political Science department cautions not to read too much into this byelection, as the trends can be dramatically reversed during the intense reality of national election campaign.

Whatever the outcomes, they are sure to provide some interesting conversation around the holiday celebrations and barbecues tomorrow.

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