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1940 Alberta general election

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1940 Alberta general election
← 1935 March 21, 1940 (1940-03-21) 1944 →
57 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
29 seats were needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
IM
Leader William Aberhart Andrew Davison
Party Social Credit Independent Movement
Leader since September 3, 1935 1940
Leader's seat Calgary Calgary
Last election 56 seats, 54.2% pre-creation
Seats before 47 —
Seats won 36 19
Seat change Decrease11 —
Popular vote 132,507 131,172
Percentage 42.9% 42.5%
Swing Decrease11.3% —
  Third party Fourth party
 
LAB
LIB
Leader unknown Edward L. Gray
Party Labour Liberal
Leader since — June 4, 1937
Leader's seat — ran in Edmonton presumably
Last election 0 seats, 1.7% 5 seats, 23.1%
Seats before 0 6
Seats won 1 1
Seat change Increase1 Decrease5
Popular vote 3,258 2,755
Percentage 1.1% 0.9%
Swing Decrease0.6% Decrease22.2%
Premier before election

William Aberhart
Social Credit

Premier after election

William Aberhart
Social Credit

The 1940 Alberta general election was held on March 21, 1940, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

Despite its failure to implement its key policy, providing prosperity certificates to all Albertans, the Social Credit Party of Premier William Aberhart won a second term in government. Nevertheless, it lost eleven seats that it had won in the 1935 landslide.

This provincial election, like the previous three, saw district-level proportional representation (Single transferable voting) used to elect the MLAs of Edmonton and Calgary. City-wide districts were used to elect multiple MLAs in the cities. All the other MLAs were elected in single-member districts through Instant-runoff voting.

Unity Movement

[edit]

The Conservative and Liberal parties as well as the remains of the United Farmers, recognizing the widespread popularity of the Social Credit party, ran joint candidates as independents in what was called the "Independent Movement" or the "Unity Movement". Although independent candidates won almost as many votes as Social Credit, their support was dispersed across many areas so few of the movement's candidates took a majority of the votes (required under Instant-runoff voting to take the seat) so the movement's overall vote tally did not translate into its due share of seats overall. The Independent Movement lost a number of races by small margins. However, due to the Parliamentary system, which awards power solely on the basis of seats won, Social Credit was returned for a second term, albeit with a considerably reduced majority.

The Liberals under leader Edward Gray chose only to support Independent candidates that they played a hand in nominating, and nominated other candidates under its own banner. Gray felt that candidates should not be machined into the field and left it up to the individual Liberal constituency associations to decide if they would support a candidate or not.[1]

This would be the most opposition that Social Credit would face until 1959.

Co-operative Commonwealth

[edit]

The social democratic Cooperative Commonwealth Federation nominated candidates for the first time, but failed to win any seats in the legislature, despite winning over 10% of the popular vote under the leadership of former United Farmers of Alberta MLA Chester Ronning. Like Ronning, most of the CCF's candidates had run in the 1935 election for the UFA.

Reduction of electoral districts

[edit]

An Act was passed in 1939 that provided for the reduction of the number of MLAs from 63 to 57, upon the next election.[2] Calgary and Edmonton now returned five MLAs each instead of six, and the following other changes were made:

Abolished New
New districts
Renaming of districts
Abolition of districts
Merger of districts
Reorganization of districts
  1. ^ from parts of Vegreville, Sedgewick and Camrose
  2. ^ from part of Grande Prairie
  3. ^ also drawing in parts of Edson, Red Deer and Lacombe

Results

[edit]
Elections to the 9th Alberta Legislative Assembly (1940)
Party Leader Candidates First-preference votes Seats
Votes ± % Fpv Change (pp) 1935 1940 ±
Social Credit William Aberhart 56 132,507 31,193Increase 42.90 -11.35
 
 56
36 / 57
 20Decrease
Independent Movement[a 1] Andrew Davison 57 130,603 11,178Increase 42.28 2.51 2.51
 
 6
19 / 57
 13Increase
Liberal Edward Gray 2 2,755 483Increase 0.89 0.14 0.14
 
 1
1 / 57
 Steady
Labour 2 3,258 1,828Decrease 1.05 -0.63
 
 –
1 / 57
 1Increase
Co-operative Commonwealth Chester Ronning 36 34,316 34,316Increase 11.11 11.11 11.11
 
Independent Liberal 1 1,136 181Increase 0.37 0.06 0.06
 
Communist 1 1,067 4,704Decrease 0.35 -1.56
 
Independent[a 2] 2 569 2,171Decrease 0.18 -0.72
 
Independent Labour 1 251 27Increase 0.08 0.01 0.01
 
Independent Progressive 4 1,726 1,726Increase 0.56
Independent Social Credit 1 362 362Increase 0.12
Independent Farmer 2 314 314Increase 0.10
Total 165 308,864 100.00%
Rejected ballots 10,615 2,346Increase
Turnout 319,479 9,458Increase 74.8% 7.0Decrease
Registered voters 427,335 49,086Increase
  1. ^ compared against combined 1935 totals for UFA, Conservatives and Liberals (other than Grouard)
  2. ^ 1 in Calgary; 1 in Edmonton

MLAs elected

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Synopsis of results

[edit]
Results by riding – 1940 Alberta general election (all except Calgary and Edmonton)[3]
Riding First-preference votes Turnout
[a 1] 		Final counts Winning party
Name SC IndM CCF Lib Lab Oth Total SC IndM CCF Lib Lab 1935 1940
 
Acadia-Coronation 2,163 1,665 559 – – – 4,387 76.3% 2,297 1,963 – – – New SC
Alexandra 2,215 1,255 1,273 – – – 73.1% 2,326 – 1,953 – – SC SC
Athabasca 1,965 1,336 782 – – – 4,083 61.9% 2,078 1,497 – – – SC SC
Banff-Cochrane 1,869 2,931 – – – – 4,800 80.4% Elected on 1st count New IndM
Beaver River 2,555 – 669 – – 1,254 4,478 70.4% Elected on 1st count SC SC
Bow Valley-Empress 2,035 1,762 – – – – 3,797 70.5% Elected on 1st count New SC
Bruce 2,018 1,433 752 – – – 4,203 71.8% 2,203 1,781 – – – New SC
Camrose 2,472 1,484 1,550 – – – 5,506 77.2% 2,582 – 2,508 – – SC SC
Cardston 2,160 1,808 – – – – 3,968 81.9% Elected on 1st count SC SC
Clover Bar 2,252 1,370 1,476 – – – 5,098 77.9% 2,418 – 2,261 – – SC SC
Cypress 1,667 2,065 – – – – 3,732 75.3% Elected on 1st count SC IndM
Didsbury 2,312 2,379 – – – – 74.5% Elected on 1st count SC IndM
Drumheller 2,043 1,530 741 – – – 4,314 79.8% 2,330 1,720 – – – SC SC
Edson 1,949 – 798 – 2,211 – 4,958 72.7% 2,100 – – – 2,558 SC Lab
Gleichen 1,457 2,255 670 – – – 4,382 75.2% Elected on 1st count SC IndM
Grande Prairie 1,556 1,998 674 – – – 4,228 70.4% 1,784 2,233 – – – SC IndM
Grouard 1,703 – 1,024 1,747 – – 4,474 62.0% 1,961 – – 1,965 – Lib Lib
Hand Hills 2,547 1,970 – – – – 4,517 75.5% Elected on 1st count SC SC
Lac Ste. Anne 1,612 1,239 1,110 – – – 3,961 63.9% 1,839 1,704 – – – SC SC
Lacombe 2,321 2,061 626 – – – 5,008 75.6% 2,457 2,361 – – – SC SC
Leduc 2,141 1,106 732 – – – 3,979 65.9% Elected on 1st count SC SC
Lethbridge 2,760 4,318 – – – – 7,078 83.4% Elected on 1st count SC IndM
Little Bow 2,162 2,034 – – – – 4,196 86.0% Elected on 1st count SC SC
Macleod 2,487 2,446 – – – – 4,933 82.3% Elected on 1st count SC SC
Medicine Hat 2,943 2,863 – – – – 5,806 86.1% Elected on 1st count SC SC
Okotoks-High River 3,178 4,352 – – – – 7,530 80.5% Elected on 1st count SC IndM
Olds 2,345 2,455 – – – 362 5,162 76.4% 2,549 2,483 – – – SC SC
Peace River 2,114 2,253 – – – – 4,367 60.0% Elected on 1st count SC IndM
Pembina 1,589 1,719 743 – – – 4,051 60.0% 1,818 1,980 – – – SC IndM
Pincher Creek-Crowsnest 2,356 2,129 – – 1,047 – 5,532 86.1% 2,443 2,210 – – – New SC
Ponoka 1,907 1,920 575 – – – 4,402 74.7% 2,045 2,234 – – – SC IndM
Red Deer 2,083 2,760 – – – 971 5,814 77.7% 2,330 3,142 – – – SC IndM
Redwater 2,226 945 785 – – – 3,956 64.9% Elected on 1st count New SC
Rocky Mountain House 2,477 1,496 767 – – – 4,740 69.4% Elected on 1st count SC SC
St. Albert 1,692 1,383 552 1,008 – – 4,635 70.9% 2,018 2,304 – – – SC IndM
St. Paul 2,270 1,609 813 – – – 4,692 70.2% 2,421 1,785 – – – SC SC
Sedgewick 2,605 1,426 794 – – – 4,825 75.7% Elected on 1st count SC SC
Spirit River 1,409 1,087 772 – – – 3,268 63.3% 1,707 1,295 – – – New SC
Stettler 2,668 1,851 784 – – – 5,303 78.5% Elected on 1st count SC SC
Stony Plain 1,914 1,228 942 – – 196 4,280 72.6% 2,213 1,606 – – – SC SC
Taber 1,879 1,383 576 – – – 3,838 80.0% 1,998 1,618 – – – SC SC
Vegreville 2,223 1,920 523 – – – 4,666 75.6% 2,375 2,061 – – – SC SC
Vermilion 2,203 1,815 936 – – – 4,954 76.4% 2,506 2,148 – – – SC SC
Wainwright 2,296 1,611 1,039 – – 365 5,311 76.4% 2,583 2,169 – – – SC SC
Warner 1,558 1,937 – – – – 3,495 83.0% Elected on 1st count SC IndM
Wetaskiwin 2,480 1,874 901 – – – 5,255 71.9% 2,761 2,179 – – – SC SC
Willingdon 2,329 514 968 – – – 3,811 64.4% Elected on 1st count New SC
  1. ^ including spoilt ballots
  = Open seat
  = turnout is above provincial average
  = Candidate was in previous Legislature
  = Incumbent had switched allegiance
  = Previously incumbent in another riding
  = Not incumbent; was previously elected to the Legislature
  = Incumbency arose from by-election gain
  = previously an MP in the House of Commons of Canada
  = Multiple candidates

Multi-member districts

[edit]
  = Candidate was in previous Legislature
  = First-time MLA
  = Previously incumbent in another district.

STV analysis

[edit]

Exhausted votes

[edit]

Twenty-eight districts went beyond first-preference counts in order to determine winning candidates:

Exhausted votes (1935)
District Counts Exhausted
1st preference Final Votes % of 1st pref
Calgary 45,914 44,830 1,084 2.36 2.36
 
Edmonton 43,743 41,130 2,613 5.97 5.97
 
Acadia-Coronation 4,387 4,260 127 2.89 2.89
 
Alexandra 4,743 4,279 464 9.78 9.78
 
Athabasca 4,083 3,575 508 12.44 12.44
 
Bruce 4,203 3,984 219 5.21 5.21
 
Camrose 5,506 5,090 416 7.56 7.56
 
Clover Bar 5,098 4,679 419 8.22 8.22
 
Drumheller 4,314 4,050 264 6.12 6.12
 
Edson 4,958 4,658 300 6.05 6.05
 
Grande Prairie 4,228 4,017 211 4.99 4.99
 
Grouard 4,474 3,926 548 12.25 12.25
 
Lac Ste. Anne 3,961 3,543 418 10.55 10.55
 
Lacombe 5,008 4,818 190 3.79 3.79
 
Olds 5,162 5,032 130 2.52 2.52
 
Pembina 4,051 3,798 253 6.25 6.25
 
Pincher Creek-Crowsnest 5,532 4,653 879 15.89 15.89
 
Ponoka 4,402 4,279 123 2.79 2.79
 
Red Deer 5,814 5,472 342 5.88 5.88
 
St. Albert 4,635 4,322 313 6.75 6.75
 
St. Paul 4,692 4,206 486 10.35 10.35
 
Spirit River 3,268 3,002 266 8.14 8.14
 
Stony Plain 4,280 3,819 461 10.77 10.77
 
Taber 3,838 3,616 222 5.78 5.78
 
Vegreville 4,666 4,436 230 4.93 4.93
 
Vermilion 4,954 4,654 300 6.06 6.06
 
Wainwright 5,311 4,752 559 10.53 10.53
 
Wetaskiwin 5,255 4,940 315 5.99 5.99
 

Calgary

[edit]

The Independent Movement (also called the "Citizens' Slate) fielded six candidates for the five seats. The other parties nominated fewer candidates than the maximum seats sought.

Party Candidates MLAs elected
1940 1935 ± 1940 1935 ±
Independent Movement 6 – 6Increase 3 – 3Increase
Social Credit 4 6 2Decrease 2 4 2Decrease
Co-operative Commonwealth 2 – 2Increase – – –
Independent Labour 1 1 Steady – – –
Independent 1 1 Steady – – –
Conservative – 4 4Decrease – 1 1Decrease
Liberal – 4 4Decrease – 1 1Decrease
Labour – 3 3Decrease – – –
Communist – 1 1Decrease – – –
Total 14 20 6Decrease 5 6 1Decrease
Calgary (1940 Alberta general election) (five members elected, candidates ranked in order of 1st preference)[4]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Independent Movement Andrew Davison 27.15% 12,465
Social Credit William Aberhart 26.40% 12,122 12,122
Independent Movement James Mahaffy 7.94% 3,645 5,538 5,615 5,672 5,704 5,966 6,041 6,043 6,971 7,040 7,162 9,449
Independent Movement John J. Bowlen 7.51% 3,447 4,380 4,417 4,431 4,453 4,545 4,586 4,590 5,212 5,254 5,320 7,247
Co-operative Commonwealth Fred J. White 6.20% 2,846 2,903 3,025 3,037 3,097 3,128 4,179 4,229 4,319 4,461 4,965 5,175
Independent Movement Joseph Tweed Shaw 5.85% 2,685 3,726 3,746 3,777 3,804 3,994 4,039 4,043 4,592 4,602 4,654
Social Credit Fred Anderson 4.22% 1,939 1,959 4,203 4,213 4,229 4,236 4,369 5,227 5,282 8,744
Social Credit Edith Gostick 3.50% 1,605 1,613 2,886 2,905 2,922 2,928 2,985 3,691 3,731
Independent Movement Norman Dingle 3.22% 1,480 2,084 2,121 2,133 2,158 2,322 2,358 2,363
Social Credit H.D. Tarves 3.02% 1,386 1,390 1,914 1,918 1,938 1,947 1,979
Co-operative Commonwealth Robert Alderman 2.83% 1,298 1,333 1,438 1,448 1,487 1,499
Independent Movement Harry Pryde 1.25% 576 758 766 778 790
Independent Labour D. V. Mitchell 0.55% 251 266 280 290
Independent Frank Moodie 0.37% 169 169 186 194
Exhausted ballots — — 3 3 6 26 43 72 422 501 507 854 1,084
Electorate: 59,338   Valid: 45,914   Spoilt: 777   Quota: 7,653   Turnout: 46,691 (78.7%)  
Calgary (1940 Alberta general election)
(analysis of transferred votes, candidates ranked in order of 1st preference)
Party Candidate Maximum
round 		Maximum
votes 		Share in
maximum
round 		Maximum votes
First round votesTransfer votes


Independent Movement Andrew Davison 1 12,465 27.15%
​​
Social Credit William Aberhart 1 12,122 26.40%
​​
Independent Movement James Mahaffy 12 9,449 21.08%
​​
Independent Movement John J. Bowlen 12 7,247 16.17%
​​
CCF Fred J. White 12 5,175 11.54%
​​
Independent Movement Joseph Tweed Shaw 11 4,654 10.33%
​​
Social Credit Fred Anderson 10 8,744 19.26%
​​
Social Credit Edith Gostick 9 3,731 8.22%
​​
Independent Movement Norman Dingle 8 2,363 5.19%
​​
Social Credit H.D. Tarves 7 1,979 4.32%
​​
CCF Robert Alderman 6 1,499 3.27%
​​
Independent Movement Harry Pryde 5 790 1.72%
​​
Independent Labour D. V. Mitchell 4 290 0.63%
​​
Independent Frank Moodie 3 194 0.42%
​​
Exhausted votes 1,084 2.36%
​​

Edmonton

[edit]

The Independent Movement presented seven candidates for the five seats being contested.

Party Candidates MLAs elected
1940 1935 ± 1940 1935 ±
Independent Movement 7 – 7Increase 3 – 3Increase
Social Credit 5 6 1Decrease 2 2 Steady
Co-operative Commonwealth 3 – 3Increase – – –
Independent Progressive 2 – 2Increase – – –
Independent 1 – 1Increase – – –
Communist 1 1 Steady – – –
Conservative – 6 6Decrease – 1 1Decrease
Liberal – 6 6Decrease – 3 3Decrease
United Farmers – 1 1Decrease – – –
Labour – 6 6Decrease – – –
Reconstruction – 1 1Decrease – – –
Total 19 27 8Decrease 5 6 1Decrease
Edmonton (1940 Alberta general election) (five members elected, candidates ranked in order of 1st preference)[5]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Social Credit Ernest Manning 23.01% 10,066
Independent Movement John Percy Page 12.82% 5,607 5,657 5,698 5,774 5,801 6,077 6,118 6,140 6,421 6,466 6,648 6,731 7,935
Independent Movement Hugh John Macdonald 9.44% 4,128 4,167 4,189 4,249 4,256 4,318 4,342 4,356 5,029 5,061 5,127 5,184 5,828 6,056 6,649
Independent Movement Gerald O'Connor 9.08% 3,972 3,988 4,006 4,030 4,047 4,145 4,180 4,187 4,578 4,590 4,627 4,650 5,081 5,263 6,035
Independent Movement David Milwyn Duggan 8.87% 3,878 3,890 3,926 3,953 3,957 4,085 4,092 4,103 4,229 4,240 4,294 4,318 5,713 5,925 6,731
Independent Movement L. Y. Cairns 7.58% 3,316 3,326 3,356 3,393 3,395 3,584 3,589 3,599 3,697 3,706 3,781 3,801
Co-operative Commonwealth Elmer Roper 4.54% 1,984 2,013 2,033 2,047 2,245 2,280 2,399 2,421 2,455 2,477
Co-operative Commonwealth Harry Dean Ainlay 4.21% 1,840 1,866 1,901 1,943 2,105 2,117 2,485 2,552 2,580 2,654 4,539 4,652 4,706 4,724
Independent Movement E. C. Fisher 3.67% 1,607 1,620 1,655 1,671 1,681 1,712 1,729 1,738
Social Credit Charles Gould 2.73% 1,192 1,771 1,790 1,820 1,826 1,831 1,965 2,342 2,378
Social Credit Elisha East 2.55% 1,117 1,593 1,607 1,623 1,631 1,636 1,724 2,375 2,395 3,376 3,422
Communist James A. MacPherson 2.44% 1,067 1,088 1,108 1,120 1,135 1,136
Social Credit Norman B. James 2.21% 967 1,923 1,932 1,964 1,970 1,972 2,072 2,428 2,440 3,537 3,568 6,355 6,378 6,382 7,133
Social Credit Charles B. Wills 2.17% 948 1,442 1,450 1,473 1,483 1,493 1,564
Independent Movement Marjorie Pardee 1.88% 822 828 843 857 862
Co-operative Commonwealth William H. Miller 1.01% 442 457 482 493
Independent G. F. Hustler 0.91% 400 412 452
Independent Progressive Samuel Barnes 0.64% 282 299
Independent Progressive J. H. Green 0.25% 108 112
Exhausted ballots — — 0 24 42 58 66 193 211 250 345 446 761 811 811 2,613
Electorate: 59,685   Valid: 43,743   Spoilt: 1,204   Quota: 7,291   Turnout: 44,947 (75.3%)  
Edmonton (1940 Alberta general election)
(analysis of transferred votes, candidates ranked in order of 1st preference)
Party Candidate Maximum
round 		Maximum
votes 		Share in
maximum
round 		Maximum votes
First round votesTransfer votes


Social Credit Ernest Manning 1 10,066 23.01%
​​
Independent Movement John Percy Page 13 7,935 18.48%
​​
Independent Movement Hugh John Macdonald 15 6,649 17.34%
​​
Independent Movement Gerald O'Connor 15 6,035 14.67%
​​
Independent Movement David Milwyn Duggan 15 6,731 16.37%
​​
Independent Movement L. Y. Cairns 12 3,801 8.84%
​​
CCF Elmer Roper 10 2,477 5.71%
​​
CCF Harry Dean Ainlay 14 4,724 11.00%
​​
Independent Movement E. C. Fisher 8 1,738 3.99%
​​
Social Credit Charles Gould 9 2,378 5.47%
​​
Social Credit Elisha East 11 3,422 7.90%
​​
Communist James A. MacPherson 6 1,136 2.60%
​​
Social Credit Norman B. James 15 7,133 17.34%
​​
Social Credit Charles B. Wills 7 1,564 3.59%
​​
Independent Movement Marjorie Pardee 5 862 1.97%
​​
CCF William H. Miller 4 493 1.13%
​​
Independent G. F. Hustler 3 452 1.03%
​​
Independent Progressive Samuel Barnes 2 299 0.68%
​​
Independent Progressive J. H. Green 2 112 0.26%
​​
Exhausted votes 2,613 5.97%
​​

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Liberals Against Independents If "Machined into Field" - Gray". Vol. XXXIII No 36. The Lethbridge Herald. January 23, 1940. p. 7.
  2. ^ The Legislative Assembly Act Amendment Act, 1939, S.A. 1939, c. 94
  3. ^ A Century of Democracy: Elections of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, 1905-2005. Edmonton: Legislative Assembly of Alberta. pp. 134–146. ISBN 0-9689217-9-5.
  4. ^ "Take 12 Counts In Calgary Vote". Calgary Albertan. March 23, 1940. pp. 1–2.
  5. ^ "General Statement By Returning Officer: Electoral Division of Edmonton". Edmonton Bulletin. March 25, 1940. p. 1.

Further reading

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Party platforms

[edit]
  • Irvine, William (1940). C.C.F. Provincial Policy (PDF). Co-operative Commonwealth Federation of Alberta.
  • Manifesto (PDF). Willingdon, Alberta: United Farmers of Alberta. 1940.

See also

[edit]
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