1997 Alberta general election

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83 seats in theLegislative Assembly of Alberta 42 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	53.75%
Majority party Minority party   LIB Leader Ralph Klein Grant Mitchell Party Progressive Conservative Liberal Leader since December 14, 1992 November 13, 1994 Leader's seat Calgary-Elbow Edmonton-McClung Last election 51 seats, 44.49% 32 seats, 39.73% Seats before 52 31 Seats won 63 18 Seat change 11 13 Popular vote 483,914 309,748 Percentage 51.17% 32.75% Swing 6.7% 6.98%   Third party Fourth party   NDP SC Leader Pam Barrett Randy Thorsteinson Party New Democratic Social Credit Leader since 1996 1993 Leader's seat Edmonton-Highlands ran inRed Deer-South (lost) Last election 0 seats, 11.01% 0 seats, 2.41% Seats before 0 0 Seats won 2 0 Seat change 2 0 Popular vote 83,292 64,667 Percentage 8.81% 6.84% Swing 2.2% 4.43%
Premier before election Ralph Klein Progressive Conservative Premier after election Ralph Klein Progressive Conservative

The1997 Alberta general election was held on March 11, 1997, to elect members of theLegislative Assembly of Alberta.

TheProgressive Conservative government led byPremierRalph Klein won its eighth consecutive mandate going back to1971, increasing its share of votes and seats in the Legislature relative to the previous election in1993. TheLiberal Party retained Official Opposition status, though it lost nearly half its seats. After anelectoral wipeout in 1993, theNDP returned to the Legislature by winning two seats.

TheProgressive Conservative Association had governed Alberta since 1971, and premierRalph Klein led the party into his second general election as party leader. The previous election in 1993 was the best result for theLiberal Party since its last electoral victory in1917.

This was the second consecutive election fought on a new set of electoral boundaries, due to anAlberta Court of Appeal decision that was critical of the map created in 1992. The government amended the Electoral Boundaries Commission Act, introducing the present system where the commission is made up of a justice from the Court, two members appointed by the governing party, and two members appointed by the official opposition. A new Commission was created, which issued its recommendations for a new set of electoral boundaries in 1996.^[1]

Ralph Klein's second election as leader of the PCs was considerably more successful than his first. The party won over half the popular vote, and 63 of the 83 seats in the legislature for its eighth consecutive term in government. The party continued to dominate in Calgary and rural areas, and managed to regain a foothold in Edmonton where it won two seats.

TheLiberal Party ofGrant Mitchell lost about 7% of the popular vote it had won in the1993 election. The party's legislative caucus was reduced from 32 members to 18.

Pam Barrett led theNew Democratic Party back into the legislature with two seats (both inEdmonton), despite winning an even smaller share of the popular vote than in 1993.

TheSocial Credit Party also re-emerged, placing a strong second in several rural ridings, but did not win any seats.

Overall voter turnout was 53.75%.^[4]

Notes:

* Party did not nominate candidates in the previous election.

x – less than 0.005% of the popular vote

• List of Alberta political parties

• Alberta. Chief Electoral Officer (1997).Report of the Chief Electoral Officer, November, 1996 general enumeration and Tuesday, March 11, 1997 general election Twenty-fourth Legislative Assembly. Edmonton: Alberta Legislative Assembly, Office of the Chief Electoral Officer.

• Original Elections Alberta Website for 1997 election
• Present Elections Alberta Website for 1997 election

• 1997 elections in Canada
• Elections in Alberta
• March 1997 in Canada

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