Fewer local voters show up at the polls than 2019

Posted on June 8, 2023 by Ryan Dahlman

Southern Alberta Newspapers

The number of votes across Medicine Hat and surrounding regions came in at fewer than the last couple of elections.

The Cypress-Medicine Hat riding had 20,722 votes cast in 17 of 18 reported polls with UCP candidate Justin Wright leading the way and winning with 12,823 votes. Runner up New Democratic candidate Cathy Hogg received 7,319 votes. Matt Orr of the Wildrose Loyalty Coalition received 311 votes and Cody Both of the Independence Party of Alberta received 269 votes.

The Brooks-Medicine Hat riding had a total of 19,392 votes cast in Monday’s election with UCP party leader Danielle Smith leading with 12,940 votes. Gwendoline Dirk of the NDP was the runner-up with 5,248 votes. Barry Morishita from the Alberta Party totalled 1,204 votes.

Smith’s total votes was doubled from the Nov. 8, 2022 byelection when she received 6,919 votes for her seat in the riding. Dirk received 3,394 votes in the byelection and Morishita had 2,098.

In 2019, a total of 24,579 votes were cast in Cypress-Medicine Hat with UCP candidate Drew Barnes leading the way with 16,483 votes. Runner up NDP candidate Peter Mueller received 6,396 votes.

The riding had 36,597 eligible voters for the election with 12,018 not casting a vote. There were also 162 votes cast in that riding which were deemed either rejected, spoiled or declined.

The Brooks-Medicine Hat riding had a total of 22,430 votes cast with UCP candidate Michaela Frey leading with 13,606 votes. Lynn MacWilliam of the NDP was the runner up with 4,012 votes. The riding as a whole had 34,257 eligible voters 11,827 not voted. There were also 105 votes cast in that riding which were deemed either rejected, spoiled or declined.

In 2015, 16,245 voters went to the polls in the riding of Medicine Hat – which was rezoned to Brooks-Medicine Hat in 2019. NDP candidate Bob Wanner won the riding with 6,160 votes, while the Wildrose Party earned 5,790 votes, and the Progressive Conservative Party took in 3,427.

Cypress-Medicine Hat had 15,662 voters go to the polls in 2015. Drew Barnes, then with the Wildrose Party, won the election with 8,544 votes. The Progressive Conservatives took in 3,389 votes, followed by the NDP with 3,201.