Albertans heading to the polls this month

May 03, 2023

Ag Minister Nate Horner is looking to rewin his seat in Drumheller-Stettler

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Albertans will head to the voting booths at the end of the month.

Alberta Chief Electoral Officer Glen Resler confirmed writs were issued on May 1, triggering the election campaign.

Albertans will vote for their next government on May 29 with many viewing the campaign as a two-horse race between Premier Danielle Smith and the United Conservative Party (UCP), and Rachel Notley and the New Democratic Party (NDP).

A poll by ThinkHQ Public Affairs in Calgary, for example, shows that the UCP and NDP each have about 46 per cent of support from Albertans, with 13 per cent identifying of voters saying they’re undecided about who to vote for.

The UCP’s platform currently consists of measures for tax cuts, a public health care guarantee, a no tax hike guarantee and $10 per day childcare.

The Alberta NDP hasn’t released its official platform yet. But the party’s website lists its “commitments for a better future.”

With the election campaign underway, this means Nate Horner, the minister of agriculture and irrigation, is trying to defend his seat In Drumheller-Stettler.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to once again work hard to improve life in the riding,”
he said on Twitter Tuesday after filing his nomination papers.

He won the seat in 2019 with 16,187 votes – or 77 per cent of the vote.

The NDP’s representative, Holly Heffernan, finished fourth with 1,354 votes, or 6.4 per cent of the area support.

In 2023, Juliet Franklin, a pharmacist, will be on the ballot for the NDP.

“I am excited to join Rachel Notley and the NDP in their fight to support and strengthen public healthcare, so all who live in Drumheller-Stettler can feel confident in finding the care they need close to home,” she said on Feb. 13, when the party announced her candidacy.

New for 2023 in Alberta, satellite offices will be opened in the six largest ridings to provide more voting options.

One of those will be in Drumheller-Stettler. The offices are open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00am to 6:00pm and on Saturdays from 10:00am to 2:00pm.

On voting days, the satellite offices are open from 10:00am to 8:00pm.

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