1930 Alberta general election

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1930 Alberta general election
← 1926 June 19, 1930 (1930-06-19) 1935 →
63 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
32 seats were needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader John E. Brownlee John W. McDonald
Party United Farmers Liberal
Leader since November 23, 1925 March 27, 1930
Leader's seat Ponoka ran in unknown
Last election 43 seats, 39.7% 7 seats, 26.2%
Seats before 44 6
Seats won 39 11
Seat change Decrease5 Increase5
Popular vote 74,187[1] 46,275
Percentage 39.4% 24.6%
Swing Decrease0.3% Decrease1.6%
  Third party Fourth party
 
Leader David M. Duggan Fred J. White
Party Conservative Dominion Labor
Leader since 1930 between 1921 & 1926
Leader's seat Edmonton Calgary
Last election 4 seats, 22.1% 5 seats, 7.8%
Seats before 4 5
Seats won 6 4
Seat change Increase2 Decrease1
Popular vote 27,954 14,354
Percentage 14.8% 7.6%
Swing Decrease7.3% Decrease0.2%
Premier before election

John E. Brownlee
United Farmers

Premier after election

John E. Brownlee
United Farmers

The 1930 Alberta general election was held on June 19, 1930, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

The United Farmers of Alberta won election to a third term in government, and John E. Brownlee continued as premier.

This provincial election, like the previous election (1926), used district-level proportional representation (Single transferable voting) to elect the MLAs of Edmonton and Calgary. (Medicine Hat no longer had multiple seats.) City-wide districts were used to elect multiple MLAs in the two main cities.

All the other MLAs were elected in single-member districts through Instant-runoff voting.

Th United Farmers again ran one candidate in Edmonton and won that seat and did not run in Calgary.

Altogether in the cities the UFA won just one seat in the cities (in Edmonton) but won a great share of the rural seats, by securing the support of a majority of votes in each district, as required under IRV (AKA Alternative Voting).

The effect of STV in the cities was that candidates of four parties - UFA, Conservative, Liberal and Labour - were elected in Edmonton reflecting votes cast.

STV in Calgary similarly produced mixed representation reflecting votes cast. Candidates of the Conservative, Liberal and Labour parties were elected there.[2]

Nominations[edit]

There were a significant number of Independent nominations, many of which were in districts where the Liberals chose not to field candidates. In addition, four went to Communist Party members:

Communist candidates in the 1930 election[3]
District Candidate Votes received
(on 1st preference)
Calgary John O'Sullivan 460
Drumheller John O'Sullivan 188
Edmonton Jan Lakeman 752
Rocky Mountain Rich Sudworth 783
Total 2,183

Beaver River[edit]

The most closely contested race in the election happened in the Beaver River electoral district. The election was a three-way race between incumbent United Farmers MLA John Delisle Liberal candidate Henry Dakin and Independent candidate Luc Lebel.[4]

The first count results showed Delisle leading Dakin by seven votes. Lebel was in third place with 87 votes. Under Instant runoff voting, when no candidate has a majority, the least-popular candidate is eliminated and his votes transferred.[4] Lebel was eliminated and his 87 votes were transferred where second-choice preference had been marked. The new vote tallies showed Delisle with 21 more votes than Dakin. Delisle was declared elected on June 25, 1930, six days after the election was held.[5]

The Liberals challenged the results in provincial court. A judicial recount was ordered. Judge Taylor concluded on August 21, 1930, that the second count results showed Dakin had four more votes than Delisle. Delisle's election was overturned, and Dakin picked up the seat.[6]

1930 redistribution of districts[edit]

An Act was passed in 1930 providing for an increase of seats from 60 to 63, upon the next election.[7] Calgary and Edmonton now returned six MLAs each instead of five, and the following other changes were made:

Abolished New
New districts
Merger of districts
  1. ^ from parts of Edmonton, Leduc and Victoria
  2. ^ from parts of Bow Valley and Hand Hills
  3. ^ from part of Peace River

Results[edit]

Elections to the 7th Alberta Legislative Assembly (1930)
Party Leader Candidates First-preference votes Seats
Votes ± % Fpv Change (pp) 1926 1930 ±
United Farmers John E. Brownlee 47 74,187 2,220Increase 39.41 -0.27
 
 43
39 / 63
 4Decrease
Liberal John W. McDonald 36 46,275 1,175Decrease 24.59 -1.58
 
 7
11 / 63
 4Increase
Conservative David M. Duggan 18 27,954 12,137Decrease 14.85 -7.25
 
 4
6 / 63
 2Increase
Labour Fred J. White 11 14,354 231Increase 7.63 -0.16
 
 5
4 / 63
 1Decrease
Independent 25 23,266 10,712Increase 12.36 11.66 11.66
 
 –
3 / 63
 3Increase
Communist Jan Lakeman 4 2,183 2,183Increase 1.16 1.16 1.16
 
 –
0 / 63
 –
Independent Labour – Campaigned as Independent -1.37
 
 1
0 / 63
 1Decrease
Total 141 188,219 100.00%
Rejected ballots 7,707 1,148Decrease
Turnout 195,926 11,934Increase 66.7% 0.5Decrease
Registered voters 293,798 20,048Increase

MLAs elected[edit]


Synopsis of results[edit]

Results by riding – 1930 Alberta general election (all except Calgary and Edmonton)[8]
Riding First-preference votes Turnout
[a 1] 		Final counts Winning party
Name UFA Lib Con Lab Comm Ind Total UFA Lib Con Lab Ind 1926 1930
 
Acadia 2,103 – – – – 823 2,926 74.3% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Alexandra 1,725 649 – – – – 2,374 54.2% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Athabasca 861 1,057 – – – – 1,918 63.9% Elected on 1st count Lib Lib
Beaver River[9] 1,028 1,021 – – – 87 2,136 65.7% 1,032 1,036 – – – UFA Lib
Bow Valley 959 – – – – 1,253 2,212 81.8% Elected on 1st count Lib Ind
Camrose 3,137 2,086 – – – – 5,223 78.1% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Cardston 1,364 825 – – – – 2,189 65.4% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Clover Bar 1,338 – 692 – – 866 2,896 68.9% 1,462 – – – 1,115 New UFA
Cochrane 1,174 1,162 – – – – 2,336 76.4% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Coronation 2,084 – – – – 1,983 4,067 80.5% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Cypress 1,315 1,060 – – – – 2,375 76.7% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Didsbury 1,756 – – – – 1,470 3,226 78.5% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Drumheller – – – 866 188 1,644[a 2] 2,698 80.6% – – – 1,036 1,113 New Ind
Edson – 777 – 2,434 – – 3,211 61.4% Elected on 1st count Lab Lab
Empress 941 – – – – 617 1,558 71.3% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Gleichen 1,566 – – – – 1,069 2,635 67.2% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Grande Prairie Acclamation[a 3] New UFA
Grouard 1,017 1,706 – – – – 2,723 68.4% Elected on 1st count Lib Lib
Hand Hills 2,689 – – – – 1,507 4,196 74.3% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Innisfail 1,243 878 604 – – – 2,725 71.8% 1,362 1,147 – – – UFA UFA
Lac Ste. Anne Acclamation UFA UFA
Lacombe 1,932 – – – – 1,830 3,762 75.4% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Leduc 1,408 1,468 – – – – 2,876 65.2% Elected on 1st count UFA Lib
Lethbridge – – – 2,036 – 2,603[a 4] 4,639 67.1% – – – 2,238 1,978 Lab Lab
Little Bow Acclamation UFA UFA
Macleod 1,539 800 – – – – 2,339 76.2% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Medicine Hat – 1,774 1,150 – – 935 3,859 74.1% – 2,046 1,365 – – Lib Lib
Nanton-Claresholm 1,415 – 733 – – – 2,148 65.4% Elected on 1st count New UFA
Okotoks-High River 2,834 1,668 – – – – 4,502 72.9% Elected on 1st count New UFA
Olds 1,790 1,577 – – – – 3,367 74.2% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Peace River 1,331 – – – – 795 2,126 47.7% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Pembina 2,094 – – – – 1,160 3,254 67.7% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Pincher Creek 920 959 – – – – 1,879 79.1% Elected on 1st count UFA Lib
Ponoka Acclamation UFA UFA
Red Deer 2,144 – 2,056 – – – 4,200 76.4% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Ribstone 1,672 837 271 – – – 2,780 71.7% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Rocky Mountain – – – 820 783 1,604 3,207 66.5% Elected on 1st count Lab Ind
St. Albert 1,427 1,161 – – – – 2,588 80.0% Elected on 1st count Lib UFA
St. Paul 1,635 1,653 – – – – 3,288 71.9% Elected on 1st count UFA Lib
Sedgewick 2,265 – 828 – – – 3,093 62.6% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Stettler 1,934 761 1,147 – – – 3,842 70.7% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Stony Plain 1,406 1,247 – – – – 2,653 69.2% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Sturgeon 2,556 1,129 – – – – 3,685 63.0% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Taber 1,848 – – – – 1,516 3,364 72.2% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Vegreville 2,364 1,757 – – – – 4,121 72.9% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Vermilion 2,551 815 – – – – 3,366 62.3% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Victoria 1,588 1,522 – – – 47 3,157 77.0% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Wainwright 1,446 650 – – – 1,005 3,101 74.9% 1,564 – – – 1,254 UFA UFA
Warner 1,342 709 – – – – 2,051 70.7% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
Wetaskiwin 1,417 1,713 – – – – 3,130 77.5% Elected on 1st count UFA Lib
Whitford 1,799 766 – – – 47 2,612 59.8% Elected on 1st count UFA UFA
  1. ^ including spoilt ballots
  2. ^ Fred Moyer led with 922 votes, and was the eventual winner.
  3. ^ Hugh Allen was previously incumbent in Peace River
  4. ^ W. D. L. Hardie received 1,598 votes; Robert Barrowman received 1,005 votes. Barrowman would be eliminated on the next count.
  = 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
  = on judicial recount

Multi-member districts[edit]

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

STV analysis[edit]

Exhausted votes[edit]

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

Exhausted votes (1930)
District Counts Exhausted
1st preference Final Votes % of 1st pref
Beaver River[9] 2,136 2,068 68 3.18 3.18
 
Calgary 24,417 23,375 1,042 4.27 4.27
 
Clover Bar 2,896 2,577 319 11.02 11.02
 
Drumheller 2,698 2,121 577 21.38 21.38
 
Edmonton 21,189 19,546 1,643 7.75 7.75
 
Innisfail 2,725 2,509 216 7.93 7.93
 
Lethbridge 4,639 4,216 423 9.12 9.12
 
Medicine Hat 3,859 3,411 448 11.61 11.61
 
Wainwright 3,101 2,818 283 9.13 9.13
 

Calgary[edit]

Calgary (1930 Alberta general election)[10]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Conservative John Irwin 22.61% 5,520 3,489
Liberal George Webster 14.95% 3,651 3,651 3,489
Liberal John Bowlen 10.64% 2,598 2,667 2,700 2,711 2,721 2,727 2,821 2,823 2,869 3,588
Labour Fred J. White 10.59% 2,585 2,659 2,673 2,874 2,916 3,335 3,515 3,489
Conservative Hugh Farthing 9.33% 2,279 2,957 2,966 2,979 2,994 3,001 3,132 3,133 3,731 3,731
Conservative Harold McGill 6.69% 1,634 2,226 2,238 2,252 2,260 2,266 2,446 2,449 3,089 3,293
Independent Robert Parkyn 6.32% 1,544 1,608 1,616 1,699 1,856 1,933 2,056 2,067 2,106 2,296
Liberal Robert Weir 4.88% 1,191 1,260 1,328 1,339 1,344 1,359 1,502 1,508 1,579
Conservative H.S. Patterson 4.12% 1,007 1,368 1,374 1,382 1,395 1,405 1,480 1,480
Independent A.C. MacKay 4.06% 992 1,078 1,083 1,092 1,097 1,107
Labour W.E. Turner 2.35% 575 589 590 590 590
Communist John O'Sullivan 1.88% 460 469 469 469
Labour Thomas Vickers 1.56% 381 390 391
Exhausted ballots — — 6 11 52 266 306 487 490 576 1,042
Electorate: 43,217   Valid: 24,417   Spoilt: 564   Quota: 3,489   Turnout: 57.80  

The elimination quota was determined to be 872, so Turner, O'Sullivan and Vickers were immediately eliminated. The vote allocations went in the following order:[10]

  • Irwin and Webster, having exceed the quota, were declared elected on the first count, and their excess amounts would be distributed first. Those under the elimination quota were able to share it at this stage.
  • Turner, O'Sullivan and Vickers were then allocated out, but any transfers between them were treated as exhausted.
  • MacKay was then dropped off, before White was declared elected.
  • White's excess amount was allocated.
  • Patterson was dropped off, and Farthing was declared elected.
  • Weir was eliminated. Bowlen and McGill, being the top two of the remaining three candidates, were declared elected. It was not necessary to allocate Farthing's excess quota. Parkyn was the only incumbent MLA to be defeated.
Calgary (1930 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


Conservative John Irwin 1 5,520 22.61%
​​
Liberal George Webster 1 3,651 14.95%
​​
Liberal John Bowlen 10 3,588 15.35%
​​
Labour Fred J. White 7 3,515 14.69%
​​
Conservative Hugh Farthing 9 3,731 15.65%
​​
Conservative Harold McGill 10 3,293 14.09%
​​
Independent Robert Parkyn 10 2,296 9.82%
​​
Liberal Robert Weir 9 1,579 6.62%
​​
Conservative H.S. Patterson 7 1,480 6.18%
​​
Independent A.C. MacKay 6 1,107 4.59%
​​
Labour W.E. Turner 5 590 2.44%
​​
Communist John O'Sullivan 4 469 1.92%
​​
Labour Thomas Vickers 3 391 1.60%
​​
Exhausted votes 1,042 4.27%
​​
Initial terminal transfer rates for votes (1930)
Transferred from Non-transferrable % transferred to Total
Conservative Liberal Labour Independent Communist
█ Conservative (Irwin) 6 1,631 138 97 150 9 2,031
0.30% 80.31% 6.79% 4.78% 7.39% 0.44% 100.00%
█ Independent (MacKay) 181 386 237 180 123 – 1,107
16.35% 34.87% 21.41% 16.26% 11.11% – 100.00%
█ Liberal (Weir) 466 204 719 – 190 – 1,579
29.51% 12.92% 45.54% – 12.03% – 100.00%

Edmonton[edit]

Edmonton (1930 Alberta general election)[11][12]
Party Candidate FPv% Count
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
United Farmers John Lymburn 14.76% 3,230 3,028
Conservative David Duggan 12.18% 2,665 2,685 2,712 2,746 2,870 2,895 2,978 2,986 3,004 3,006 3,128 3,028
Labour Charles Gibbs 10.34% 2,262 2,300 2,306 2,371 2,391 2,423 2,439 2,660 3,148 3,028
Conservative Charles Weaver 9.20% 2,013 2,046 2,102 2,138 2,247 2,272 2,440 2,469 2,499 2,504 2,555 2,573 2,645 2,903
Liberal William R. Howson 8.39% 1,835 1,857 1,865 1,897 1,922 2,054 2,094 2,123 2,152 2,155 2,181 2,187 2,778 2,915
Conservative William Atkinson 8.16% 1,786 1,798 1,806 1,823 1,877 1,895 1,985 2,013 2,033 2,034 2,088 2,118 2,189 2,360
Liberal Warren Prevey 6.08% 1,331 1,349 1,357 1,376 1,390 1,534 1,563 1,597 1,621 1,623 1,703 1,734 2,101 2,284
Liberal James Collisson 4.75% 1,040 1,047 1,084 1,142 1,171 1,220 1,225 1,232 1,247 1,249 1,302 1,306
Labour Alfred Farmilo 3.80% 832 837 839 866 878 883 888 925 1,061 1,118 1,671 1,682 1,749
Labour Samuel Barnes 3.74% 818 826 826 841 845 852 870 914 1,004 1,052
Communist Jan Lakeman 3.44% 752 754 755 771 776 779 781
Labour Daniel Kennedy Knott 3.41% 745 756 759 776 787 800 809 889
Conservative N. C. Willson 2.06% 451 455 464 465 480 480
Liberal G. V. Pelton 2.02% 442 451 451 476 479
Conservative J. A. Buchanan 1.94% 424 426 430 438
Independent Joseph Clarke 1.71% 374 382 390
Conservative R. D. Tighe 0.86% 189 191
Exhausted ballots — — 1 15 35 48 74 89 353 392 392 505 505 643 1,643
Electorate: 39,209   Valid: 21,189   Spoilt: 690   Quota: 3,028   Turnout: 55.80  

Lymburn, Gibbs and Duncan were the only candidates that won by achieving the quota. Howson, Weaver and Atkinson won by attaining the three highest amounts of the last four candidates standing in the final count.

Edmonton (1930 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


UFA John Lymburn 1 3,230 15.24%
​​
Conservative David Duggan 11 3,128 15.12%
​​
Labour Charles Gibbs 9 3,148 15.14%
​​
Conservative Charles Weaver 14 2,903 14.85%
​​
Liberal William R. Howson 14 2,915 14.91%
​​
Conservative William Atkinson 14 2,360 12.07%
​​
Liberal Warren Prevey 14 2,284 11.69%
​​
Liberal James Collisson 12 1,306 6.31%
​​
Labour Alfred Farmilo 13 1,749 8.51%
​​
Labour Samuel Barnes 10 1,052 5.06%
​​
Communist Jan Lakeman 7 781 3.70%
​​
Labour Daniel Kennedy Knott 8 889 4.27%
​​
Conservative N. C. Willson 6 480 2.27%
​​
Liberal G. V. Pelton 5 479 2.27%
​​
Conservative J. A. Buchanan 4 438 2.07%
​​
Independent Joseph Clarke 3 390 1.84%
​​
Conservative R. D. Tighe 2 191 0.90%
​​
Exhausted votes 1,643 7.75%
​​
Initial terminal transfer rates for votes (1930)
Transferred from Non-transferrable % transferred to Total
Conservative Liberal Labour Independent Communist
█ United Farmers (Lymburn) 1 73 56 62 8 2 202
0.50% 36.14% 27.72% 30.69% 3.96% 0.99% 100.00%
█ Conservative (Tighe) 14 104 53 11 8 1 191
7.33% 54.45% 27.75% 5.76% 4.19% 0.52% 100.00%
█ Independent (Clarke) 20 96 134 124 – 16 390
5.13% 24.62% 34.36% 31.79% – 4.10% 100.00%
█ Liberal (Pelton) 26 68 325 57 – 3 479
5.43% 14.20% 67.85% 11.90% – 0.63% 100.00%
█ Communist (Lakeman) 264 65 70 382 – – 781
33.80% 8.32% 8.96% 48.91% – – 100.00%
█ Labour (Knott) 39 68 68 714 – – 889
4.39% 7.65% 7.65% 80.31% – – 100.00%

References[edit]

  1. ^ Not including four constituencies where UFA elected by acclamation
  2. ^ Mardon and Mardon, Alberta Election Results
  3. ^ "Nominations in Alberta Constituencies". Calgary Albertan. June 10, 1930. p. 9.
  4. ^ a b "Beaver River Official Results 1930 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved April 29, 2010.
  5. ^ "Alberta Government Now Sure Of 40 Seats". Vol 55 No 304. Manitoba Free Press. June 25, 1930. p. 6.
  6. ^ "Recount Gives Libs. Another Alta. Seat". Vol XXIII No 213. The Lethbridge Herald. August 21, 1930. p. 1.
  7. ^ The Legislative Assembly Act Amendment Act, 1930, S.A. 1930, c. 14
  8. ^ A Century of Democracy: Elections of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, 1905-2005. Edmonton: Legislative Assembly of Alberta. pp. 104–112. ISBN 0-9689217-9-5.
  9. ^ a b "Beaver River, Liberal Gain, Court Decrees". Calgary Albertan. August 22, 1930. p. 1.
  10. ^ a b "Bowen, McGill, Webster, Irwin, Farthing, White, Are New Calgary Members". Calgary Albertan. June 20, 1930. p. 1.
  11. ^ "Lymburn's First Choice Votes Are Distributed; Fail To Elect Duggan; Tighe Now Eliminated". Edmonton Bulletin. June 20, 1930. p. 1.
  12. ^ "Fourteen Counts Are Necessary To Elect Six M.L.A.'s". Edmonton Bulletin. June 21, 1930. pp. 1–2.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

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