View source for List of Alberta general elections

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{{update|date=April 2019}}
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{{use Canadian English|date=August 2019}}
{{use mdy dates|date=August 2019}}
[[File:Alberta Elections4.gif|thumb|350px|alt=Chart showing number of seats won by each party in each election|{{center|Number of seats won by major parties at each election}}
{{legend-col
|{{legend2|#005D7C|UCP}}
|{{legend2|#336633|Wildrose}}
|{{legend2|#9999ff|Conservative/PC}}
|{{legend2|#EA6D6A|Liberal}}
|{{legend2|#F4A460|CCF/NDP}}
|{{legend2|#90EE90|Social Credit}}
|{{legend2|#66CC00|United Farmers}}
|{{legend2|#EEBBBB|Dominion Labour Party}}
|{{legend2|#9E480E|Independents}}
|{{legend2|#636363|Other}}
}}]]

The [[Provinces and territories of Canada|Canadian province]] of [[Alberta]] holds '''elections''' to its [[unicameral]] legislative body, the [[Legislative Assembly of Alberta]]. The maximum period between general elections of the assembly is five years,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.qp.alberta.ca/574.cfm?page=L09.cfm&leg_type=Acts&isbncln=9780779753659&display=html|title=Legislative Assembly Act|year=1983|publisher=Queen's Printer|access-date=March 17, 2011|at=Section 3(1)|archive-date=March 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307131205/http://www.qp.alberta.ca/574.cfm?page=L09.cfm&leg_type=Acts&isbncln=9780779753659&display=html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.electionsalberta.ab.ca/Public%20Website/faq.htm|title=Common Questions|author=Elections Alberta|author-link=Elections Alberta|year=2008|publisher=Elections Alberta|access-date=March 9, 2010|archive-date=September 7, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100907091952/http://www.electionsalberta.ab.ca/Public%20Website/faq.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> but the [[Lieutenant Governor of Alberta|Lieutenant Governor]] is able to call one at any time.<ref>{{cite web|title=Election Act|url=http://www.qp.alberta.ca/574.cfm?page=E01.cfm&leg_type=Acts&isbncln=9780779733903|work=Province of Alberta|publisher=Alberta Queen's Printer|access-date=April 9, 2011|author=Office Consolidation|year=2000|archive-date=June 2, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100602233509/http://www.qp.alberta.ca/574.cfm?page=E01.cfm&leg_type=Acts&isbncln=9780779733903|url-status=live}}<br />'''1.1.1.nn''' ""writ" means a writ of election issued by the Chief Electoral Officer pursuant to an order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council."<br />'''39.0''' "Every election shall be commenced by the passing of an order of the Lieutenant Governor in Council"</ref> However, the [[Premier of Alberta|premier]] has typically asked the lieutenant governor to call the election in the fourth or fifth year after the preceding election. The number of seats has increased over time, from 25 for the first election in 1905, to the current 87.

Alberta's [[Politics of Alberta|politics]] has historically been one of long-lasting governments with government changes being few and far between. The province from 1905 to 2015 was ruled by four "dynasties": the [[Alberta Liberal Party|Liberal Party]] (1905–1921); the [[United Farmers of Alberta#Political history|United Farmers of Alberta]] (1921–1935), the [[Social Credit Party of Alberta|Social Credit Party]] (1935–1971), and the [[Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta|Progressive Conservative (PC) Association]] (1971–2015), the longest political dynasty in Canada. Since 2015 Alberta has had two different governments: The Alberta New Democratic party led by Rachel Notley (2015-2019) and United Conservative Party (2019 to the present). In every election one party has taken a majority of seats. No [[minority government]] has ever been elected in Alberta.  Thus, Alberta can be said to have continuously had a [[dominant-party system]] for its entire political history, though the dominant party has changed over time.

In 2015, the [[Alberta New Democratic Party|NDP]] were elected to government for the first time in Alberta's history. The [[Alberta New Democratic Party|NDP]] had Alberta's only one term government thus far.

In 2019 the newly formed [[United Conservative Party]] formed the government.

From 1909 to 1959, Alberta elections used a combination of single-member and multi-member districts. 
From 1905 to 1924, each voter cast as many votes as seats to be filled in the district.
From 1924 to the present, each voter has been able to cast just one vote.<ref>A Report on Alberta Elections, 1905-1982; Parliamentary Guides</ref>

From 1905 to 1924, plurality was enough to be elected.

From 1924 to 1959, each voter cast a [[Ranked voting|ranked ballot]], in a hybrid system of [[single transferable voting|Single Transferable Voting]] in multi-member districts in the cities and [[Instant-runoff voting]] in single-member districts outside the cities, producing [[proportional representation]] in the cities and majority-winner results elsewhere. Only Alberta and Manitoba have used a [[proportional representation]] system in the history of Canada, although in both provinces it was applied only partially.<ref name="Parliamentary Guide">Parliamentary Guide</ref>

Since 1959, Alberta's elections have used single-member [[plurality voting|plurality]], also known as [[First-past-the-post voting]].<ref name="ReferenceA">A Report on Alberta Elections, 1905-1982</ref>

== Summary ==
The table below shows the total number of seats won by each political party in each election. Full details on any election are linked via the year of the election at the start of the row, and details for the legislature that followed the election are available at the legislature number.<ref name="Elections Alberta 2004">{{cite web|title=Candidate Summary of Results (General Elections 1905–2004) |url=http://www.electionsalberta.ab.ca/Public%20Website/746.htm |access-date=March 31, 2011 |author=Elections Alberta |date=May 30, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403030918/http://www.electionsalberta.ab.ca/Public%20Website/746.htm |archive-date=April 3, 2012 }}</ref><ref name="Elections Alberta 2008">{{cite web|title=General Election Reports (1997–2008)|url=http://www.electionsalberta.ab.ca/Public%20Website/730.htm|access-date=March 31, 2011|author=Elections Alberta|author-link=Elections Alberta|year=2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518220609/http://www.electionsalberta.ab.ca/Public%20Website/730.htm|archive-date=2011-05-18|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Note that election results show differences at 1926 and 1959, when different electoral systems were adopted, as described in the "Electoral system" section.

{| class="toccolours sortable" style="margin:0 auto; clear:both; text-align: center;" border="0"
|- style="background: #ccccff"
! scope="col" width="50px" | Year
! scope="col" width="50px" | Seats
! scope="col" width="90px" | Winner
! scope="col" width="50px" | Legislature
! scope="col" width="50px" {{Canadian party colour|AB|UCP|background}}|[[United Conservative Party|{{color|white|United Conservative Party}}]]
! scope="col" width="50px" {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|background}}|[[Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta|{{color|white|Progressive Conservative}}]]{{ref label|PC|A|A}}
! scope="col" width="50px" {{Canadian party colour|AB|Liberal|background}}| [[Alberta Liberal Party|Liberal]]
! scope="col" width="50px" {{Canadian party colour|AB|NDP|background}}| [[Alberta New Democratic Party|NDP]]{{ref label|NDP|B|B}}
! scope="col" width="50px" {{Canadian party colour|AB|Social Credit|background}}| [[Social Credit Party of Alberta|Social Credit]]
! scope="col" width="50px" {{Canadian party colour|AB|United Farmers|background}}| [[United Farmers of Alberta#Political history|United Farmers]]
! scope="col" width="50px" {{Canadian party colour|AB|Labor|background}}|[[Dominion Labor Party (Alberta)|Dominion Labor]]
! scope="col" width="50px" {{Canadian party colour|AB|Independent|background}}|[[Independent (politician)|Ind.]]
! scope="col" colspan="1" {{Canadian party colour|AB|other|background}}| Other elected members
! scope="col" colspan="1" {{Canadian party colour|AB|other|background}}| Other parties
! scope="col" width="50px" | [[Voter turnout]]<ref>{{cite book|title=2008 General Report|url=http://www.elections.ab.ca/Public%20Website/files/Reports/Part8.pdf|author=Election Alberta|access-date=April 29, 2011|page=158|date=July 28, 2008|archive-date=February 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120224135356/http://www.elections.ab.ca/Public%20Website/files/Reports/Part8.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=General Elections 1975-2004 (Overall Summary of Ballots Cast and % of Voter Turnout) |url=http://www.elections.ab.ca/Public%20Website/750.htm |access-date=April 29, 2011 |author=Elections Alberta |date=November 25, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110815135628/http://www.elections.ab.ca/Public%20Website/750.htm |archive-date=August 15, 2011 }}</ref>
|-
| scope="row" | [[1905 Alberta general election|1905]]
| 25
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|Liberal|background}} |Liberal
| {{sort|01st|[[1st Alberta Legislative Assembly|1st]]}}
|
| 3
| 22
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 
|- style="background: #eeeeee"
| scope="row" | [[1909 Alberta general election|1909]]
| 41
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|Liberal|background}} | Liberal
| {{sort|02nd|[[2nd Alberta Legislative Assembly|2nd]]}}
|
| 2
| 36
|
|
|
|
| 2
| 1
| {{sort||[[Socialist Party of Alberta|Socialist]]}}
| 
|-
| scope="row" | [[1913 Alberta general election|1913]]
| 56{{ref label|1913|C|C}}
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|Liberal|background}} | Liberal
| {{sort|03rd|[[3rd Alberta Legislative Assembly|3rd]]}}
|
| 17
| 38
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 
|- style="background: #eeeeee"
| scope="row" | [[1917 Alberta general election|1917]]
| 58
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|Liberal|background}} | Liberal
| {{sort|04th|[[4th Alberta Legislative Assembly|4th]]}}
|
| 19
| 34
|
|
|
|
| 
| 5
| {{sort||1 [[Alberta Labor Representation League|Labor Representation League]]}} 2 [[Alberta Non-Partisan League]] 
2 non-partisan members elected by Soldiers and Nurses voting in 2-seat district ([[plurality block voting]])
| 
|-
| scope="row" | [[1921 Alberta general election|1921]]
| 61
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|United Farmers|background}} | United Farmers
| {{sort|05th|[[5th Alberta Legislative Assembly|5th]]}}
|
|
| 15
|
|
| 38
| 4
| 4
|
|
| 
|- style="background: #eeeeee"
| scope="row" | [[1926 Alberta general election|1926]]
| 60
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|United Farmers|background}} | United Farmers
| {{sort|06th|[[6th Alberta Legislative Assembly|6th]]}}
|
| 4
| 7
|
|
| 43
| 5
| 1
|
|
| 
|-
| scope="row" | [[1930 Alberta general election|1930]]
| 63
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|United Farmers|background}} | United Farmers
| {{sort|07th|[[7th Alberta Legislative Assembly|7th]]}}
|
| 6
| 11
|
|
| 39
| 4
| 3
|
|
| 
|- style="background: #eeeeee"
| scope="row" | [[1935 Alberta general election|1935]]
| 63
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|Social Credit|background}} | Social Credit
| {{sort|08th|[[8th Alberta Legislative Assembly|8th]]}}
|
| 2
| 5
|
| 56
|
|
|
|
| {{sort|81.8|&nbsp;}}
| 81.8%
|-
| scope="row" | [[1940 Alberta general election|1940]]
| 57
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|Social Credit|background}} | Social Credit
| {{sort|09th|[[9th Alberta Legislative Assembly|9th]]}}
|
|
| 1
|
| 36
|
|
|
| 20
| {{sort||[[Independent Citizen's Association|Independent Movement]]&nbsp;(19), [[Labour candidates and parties in Canada|Labour]]&nbsp;(1)}}
| 
|- style="background: #eeeeee"
| scope="row" | [[1944 Alberta general election|1944]]
| 60
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|Social Credit|background}} | Social Credit
| [[10th Alberta Legislative Assembly|10th]]
|
|
|
| 2
| 51
|
|
| 3
| 4
| {{sort||Navy, Army and Air Force reps. (overseas, non-partisan)(3 elected through [[first-past-the-post voting]]); [[Veterans' and Active Force]] (Edmonton)(1)}}
| 
|-
| scope="row" | [[1948 Alberta general election|1948]]
| 57
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|Social Credit|background}} | Social Credit
| [[11th Alberta Legislative Assembly|11th]]
|
|
| 2
| 2
| 51
|
|
| 2
|
|
| 
|- style="background: #eeeeee"
| scope="row" | [[1952 Alberta general election|1952]]
| 60
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|Social Credit|background}} | Social Credit
| [[12th Alberta Legislative Assembly|12th]]
|
| 2
| 3
| 1
| 53
|
|
| 1
|
|
| 
|-
| scope="row" | [[1955 Alberta general election|1955]]
| 61
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|Social Credit|background}} | Social Credit
| [[13th Alberta Legislative Assembly|13th]]
|
| 3
| 15
| 2
| 37
|
|
| 3
| 1
| {{sort||[[Frank Gainer|Coalition]]}}
| 
|- style="background: #eeeeee"
| scope="row" | [[1959 Alberta general election|1959]]
| 65
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|Social Credit|background}} | Social Credit
| [[14th Alberta Legislative Assembly|14th]]
|
| 1
| 1
|
| 61
|
|
| 1
| 1
| {{sort||Coalition}}
| 
|-
| scope="row" | [[1963 Alberta general election|1963]]
| 63
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|Social Credit|background}} | Social Credit
| [[15th Alberta Legislative Assembly|15th]]
|
|
| 2
|
| 60
|
|
|
| 1
| {{sort||Coalition}}
| 
|- style="background: #eeeeee"
| scope="row" | [[1967 Alberta general election|1967]]
| 65
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|Social Credit|background}} | Social Credit
| [[16th Alberta Legislative Assembly|16th]]
|
| 6
| 3
|
| 55
|
|
| 1
|
|
| 
|-
| scope="row" | [[1971 Alberta general election|1971]]
| 75
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|background}} | {{color|white|PC}}
| [[17th Alberta Legislative Assembly|17th]]
|
| 49
|
| 1
| 25
|
|
|
|
|
| 
|- style="background: #eeeeee"
| scope="row" | [[1975 Alberta general election|1975]]
| 75
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|background}} | {{color|white|PC}}
| [[18th Alberta Legislative Assembly|18th]]
|
| 69
|
| 1
| 4
|
|
| 1
|
| {{sort|59.58|&nbsp;}}
| 59.58%
|-
| scope="row" | [[1979 Alberta general election|1979]]
| 79
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|background}} | {{color|white|PC}}
| [[19th Alberta Legislative Assembly|19th]]
|
| 74
|
| 1
| 4
|
|
|
|
| {{sort|58.71|&nbsp;}}
| 58.71%
|- style="background: #eeeeee"
| scope="row" | [[1982 Alberta general election|1982]]
| 79
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|background}} | {{color|white|PC}}
| [[20th Alberta Legislative Assembly|20th]]
|
| 75
|
| 2
|
|
|
| 2
|
| {{sort|66.00|&nbsp;}}
| 66.00%
|-
| scope="row" | [[1986 Alberta general election|1986]]
| 83
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|background}} | {{color|white|PC}}
| [[21st Alberta Legislative Assembly|21st]]
|
| 61
| 4
| 16
|
|
|
|
| 2
| {{sort|47.25|[[Representative Party of Alberta|Representative]]}}
| 47.25%
|- style="background: #eeeeee"
| scope="row" | [[1989 Alberta general election|1989]]
| 83
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|background}} | {{color|white|PC}}
| [[22nd Alberta Legislative Assembly|22nd]]
|
| 59
| 8
| 16
|
|
|
|
|
| {{sort|53.60|&nbsp;}}
| 53.60%
|-
| scope="row" | [[1993 Alberta general election|1993]]
| 83
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|background}} | {{color|white|PC}}
| [[23rd Alberta Legislative Assembly|23rd]]
|
| 51
| 32
|
|
|
|
|
|
| {{sort|60.21|&nbsp;}}
| 60.21%
|- style="background: #eeeeee"
| scope="row" | [[1997 Alberta general election|1997]]
| 83
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|background}} | {{color|white|PC}}
| [[24th Alberta Legislative Assembly|24th]]
|
| 63
| 18
| 2
|
|
|
|
|
| {{sort|53.75|&nbsp;}}
| 53.75%
|-
| scope="row" | [[2001 Alberta general election|2001]]
| 83
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|background}} | {{color|white|PC}}
| [[25th Alberta Legislative Assembly|25th]]
|
| 74
| 7
| 2
|
|
|
|
|
| {{sort|53.38|&nbsp;}}
| 53.38%
|- style="background: #eeeeee"
| scope="row" | [[2004 Alberta general election|2004]]
| 83
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|background}} | {{color|white|PC}}
| [[26th Alberta Legislative Assembly|26th]]
|
| 62
| 16
| 4
|
|
|
|
| 1
| {{sort|45.21|[[Alberta Alliance]]}}
| 45.12%
|-
| scope="row" | [[2008 Alberta general election|2008]]
| 83
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|background}} | {{color|white|PC}}
| [[27th Alberta Legislative Assembly|27th]]
|
| 72
| 9
| 2
|
|
|
|
|
| {{sort|40.59|&nbsp;}}
| 40.59%
|- style="background: #eeeeee"
| scope="row" | [[2012 Alberta general election|2012]]
| 87
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|PC|background}} | {{color|white|PC}}
| [[28th Alberta Legislative Assembly|28th]]
|
| 61
| 5
| 4
|
|
|
|
| 17
| {{sort|80.00|[[Wildrose Party|Wildrose]]}}
| 56.96%
|- 
| scope="row" | [[2015 Alberta general election|2015]]
| 87
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|NDP|background}} | NDP
| [[29th Alberta Legislative Assembly|29th]]
|
| 10
| 1
| 54
|
|
|
|
| 22
| {{sort||[[Wildrose Party|Wildrose]]&nbsp;(21), [[Alberta Party]]&nbsp;(1)}}
| 58.4%
|-
|[[2019 Alberta general election|2019]]
|87
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|UCP|background}} | {{color|white|UCP}}
| [[30th Alberta Legislative Assembly|30th]]
|63
|
|
|24
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 64.0%
|-
|[[2023 Alberta general election|2023]]
|87
| {{Canadian party colour|AB|UCP|background}} | {{color|white|UCP}}
| [[31st Alberta Legislative Assembly|31st]]
|49
|
|
|38
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 62.4%
|}

=== Notes ===
: {{note label|PC|A|A}} Known as the Conservative Party prior to 1959.<ref name="Elections Alberta 2004" />
: {{note label|NDP|B|B}} Known as the [[Co-operative Commonwealth Federation]] (CCF) prior to 1963.<ref name="Elections Alberta 2004" />
: {{note label|1913|C|C}} In 1913, 55 people occupied 56 seats.<ref name="Elections Alberta 2004"/> C.W. Cross was elected in two different districts.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

==Electoral system==
Alberta has used a variety of electoral systems in its history, notably a combination of [[single transferable vote]] (STV) and [[instant-runoff voting]] (IRV) for nearly four decades.

=== Electoral systems of Alberta ===
{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible"
!'''<big>Elections</big>'''
! width="22%" |[[Edmonton (provincial electoral district)|<big>Edmonton</big>]]
! width="22%" |[[Calgary (provincial electoral district)|<big>Calgary</big>]]
! width="22%" |[[Medicine Hat (provincial electoral district)|<big>Medicine Hat</big>]]
! width="22%" |<big>Rest of Alberta</big>
|-
! align="center" |[[1905 Alberta general election|<big>1905</big>]]
| colspan="4" align="center" |[[First past the post]] (Single-member plurality)
|-
! align="center" |[[1909 Alberta general election|<big>1909</big>]]
| colspan="2" align="center" |Two-member [[Plurality block voting|Block Voting]] in each city
| colspan="2" align="center" |First past the post
|-
! align="center" |[[1913 Alberta general election|<big>1913</big>]]
| align="center" |Two-member [[Plurality block voting|Block Voting]]
| colspan="3" align="center" |First past the post
|-
! align="center" |[[1917 Alberta general election|<big>1917</big>]]
| colspan="4" align="center" |First past the post (except two elected by soldiers and nurses — [[Plurality block voting|Block Voting]])
|-
! align="center" |[[1921 Alberta general election|<big>1921</big>]]
| colspan="2" align="center" |Five-member [[Plurality block voting|Block Voting]] in each city
| align="center" |Two-member [[Plurality block voting|Block Voting]]
| align="center" |First past the post
|-
! align="center" |[[1926 Alberta general election|<big>1926</big>]]
| colspan="2" align="center" |Five-member city-wide districts in each city   [[single transferable vote|Single Transferable Voting]] 
| align="center" |Two-member [[Single transferable vote]]
| align="center" |Single-member [[Instant-runoff voting]]
|-
! align="center" |<big>[[1930 Alberta general election|1930]]–[[1955 Alberta general election|1959]]</big>
| colspan="2" align="center" |Multiple-member city-wide districts 
(5–7 members per city) 
[[single transferable vote|Single Transferable Voting]]
| colspan="2" align="center" |Single-member [[instant-runoff voting]]
|-
!1945 
Jan 9–20

to 1948
|
|
|
|3 Armed Forces MLAs (elected through [[first-past-the-post voting]])
|-
! align="center" |<big>[[1959 Alberta general election|1959]]–present</big>
| colspan="4" align="center" |First past the post (Single-member plurality)
|}

Alberta's [[1905 Alberta general election|first election]] was fought in 25 single-member districts using [[first past the post]]. The [[Alberta Liberal Party|Liberal]] government, like other Canadian jurisdictions at the time, introduced two-member constituencies in [[Edmonton (provincial electoral district)|Edmonton]] and [[Calgary (provincial electoral district)|Calgary]] in [[1909 Alberta general election|1909]] to accommodate the cities' larger population. Voting in these multi-member districts was by Block Voting.

The districts of Edmonton and Calgary were re-drawn in 1913 and Calgary was divided into three single-member districts. Edmonton remained a two-seat district. By [[1917 Alberta general election|1917]] Edmonton was broken up into three single-member districts, as the overall number of members and districts increased. As well 1917 saw two other innovations - election of two MLAs by soldiers and nurses overseas; and automatic re-election of 11 MLAs who were serving in the armed forces.

The Liberal government returned Edmonton and Calgary to city-wide multi-seat districts in [[1921 Alberta general election|1921]]. Edmonton and Calgary each had five MLAs who were elected through [[Plurality block voting|Block Voting]]. The government also composed the [[Medicine Hat (provincial electoral district)|Medicine Hat]] as a two-member district. Each voter in the cities was given five votes, in Medicine Hat two votes. The Liberal party led the vote in Edmonton (although not taking a majority of the city vote) and its candidates received multiple votes from the same voters, together taking more votes than the number of Edmontonians who voted. Liberals won all five of Edmonton's seats. Because each voter cast multiple votes in the cities where UFA ran only one candidate, the Liberal party vote tally is inflated (with many of its supporters casting multiple votes for party candidates) while each UFA vote truly represents an individual voter.<ref>A Report on Alberta Elections (1982)</ref> Although it did not win any seats in the cities, the [[United Farmers of Alberta|United Farmers]] won most of the rural seats. Overall it won a majority of the seats in the Legislature and formed government.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/alberta/albertas-political-dynasties/article24255480/|title=The PC dynasty falls: Understanding Alberta's history of one-party rule|access-date=2018-07-12|archive-date=March 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323162650/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/alberta/albertas-political-dynasties/article24255480/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA"/>

The UFA government, which had campaigned on a promise of electoral reform, retained the existing multi-seat districts and adopted [[Single transferable vote|Single Transferable Voting]] in Edmonton, Calgary and Medicine Hat. [[Instant-runoff voting]] (IRV) (AKA Alternative Voting) was put into use elsewhere. STV in Edmonton and Calgary produced mixed roughly proportional results in the election of city MLAs.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://lop.parl.ca/Content/LOP/ResearchPublications/2016-06-e.html?cat=government#txt34|title=Electoral Systems and Electoral Reform in Canada and Elsewhere: An Overview|last1=Barnes|first1=André|date=11 January 2016|work=Library of Parliament|access-date=2018-07-12|last2=Lithwick|first2=Dara|location=Ottawa|language=en-CA|last3=Virgint|first3=Erin|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180704034822/https://lop.parl.ca/Content/LOP/ResearchPublications/2016-06-e.html?cat=government#txt34|archive-date=2018-07-04|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="ReferenceA"/>

IRV elsewhere had little impact as the UFA candidates usually took a majority of the vote in the district on the First Count. One very popular party was the pattern for the next several decades -  the governing party, the UFA, followed by the [[Social Credit Party of Alberta|Social Credit]] - taking a majority of the rural seats, and STV in the cities giving each party its proportion of the city seats. These parallel systems, STV in the cities and IRV in the rest of the province, were used for eight elections over three decades.

During these eight elections the only modifications made were that Albertans serving in armed forces in [[1944 Alberta general election|1944]] elected three representatives, one for each branch - army, navy and air force; Medicine Hat was changed to a single-member district prior to the 1930 election; and the number of MLAs sitting for Edmonton and Calgary changed over time.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

Until recently, the pattern has been for one party to take a majority of the seats outside the cities, usually by a majority of the vote outright. Due to the relative small number of seats in the cities, that ensured the party's ascendancy to power. The UFA did not, but the SC and Conservative governments usually took several city seats as well as most of the rural seats.

This pattern was modulated in the 1950s. Due to change to First past the post in the cities, the one-party ascendency was raised to higher level. (Elsewhere the change from IRV to first past the post did not make much difference.)<ref>A Report on Alberta elections, 1905-1982, p. 77-86</ref>

In 1955, the SC government was again re-elected with a great majority of the seats but for the first time IRV changed the outcome in four districts. In these districts a SC candidate led in the first count but did not take a majority of the vote and each lost out when votes were transferred as per IRV.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

After this, [[Ernest Manning]]'s [[Social Credit Party of Alberta|Social Credit]] government abolished the mixed STV/IRV system, without public consultations and with no referendum. The city-wide districts in Edmonton and Calgary were broken up and single-member districts were created, and the use of transferable votes was ended. The government reintroduced first past the post across the province, not seen across the board since 1905. The SC government reaped a windfall of seats in the 1959 election under the new voting system, winning every seat in Edmonton and all but one in Calgary. This result was far in excess of its share of the city vote.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

First past the post remains the system used in Alberta and is currently used throughout Canada for provincial and federal elections.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="Parliamentary Guide"/>

== See also ==
* [[Timeline of Canadian elections]]
* [[List of political parties in Alberta]] – for present and historical political parties in Alberta.

== References ==
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{{Canelections}}
{{AlbertaElections}}
{{Alberta politics}}
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[[Category:Elections in Alberta|*]]
[[Category:Canadian election timelines|Alberta general elections]]
[[Category:Alberta politics-related lists|Elections, general]]