Alberta’s Opposition NDP say they will participate in a new review of provincial riding maps even though they believe Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservatives are using the review to rig the next election.
NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi says participating is the only way to at least try to hold Smith’s United Conservative majority to account.
The decision comes a day after Smith’s caucus used their majority in the house to vote to take a second run at new riding maps already proposed by a panel.
The original five-member panel couldn’t unanimously agree on the new election boundaries.
Three of its members recommended an additional two ridings for Calgary, one more riding in the city of Edmonton, and the modification or consolidation of several other ridings in Calgary, Edmonton and central and southern Alberta.
The net result would be two new constituencies being added in the provincial legislature, increasing the total number of MLAs from 87 to 89.
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The other two members of the panel, who were appointed by the UCP, recommended a very different set of electoral divisions that included a slew of urban-rural hybrid ridings which the other members of the panel warned skewed the map in favour of the rural-dominant UCP.
Smith has defended her government’s decision to order a new review saying it is the best way to ensure that the vote is fair to Albertans who live outside the cities.
The NDP, however, says Smith is using the review as a way to implement new ridings that will favour her rural-dominant UCP in the next election, which is set for the fall of 2027.
The review process requires participation from both parties, and the changes are set to come back in the fall.
The report of the Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission is available on the Elections Alberta website.
With files from Global News.
© 2026 The Canadian Press
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