1997 Alberta general election facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
1997 Alberta general election

← 1993 March 11, 1997 (1997-03-11) 2001 →
← 23rd Alberta Legislative Assembly members →
83 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta 42 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	53.75%
Majority party Minority party   LIB Leader Ralph Klein Grant Mitchell Party Progressive Conservative Liberal Leader since December 14, 1992 November 13, 1994 Leader's seat Calgary-Elbow Edmonton-McClung Last election 51 seats, 44.49% 32 seats, 39.73% Seats before 52 31 Seats won 63 18 Seat change 11 13 Popular vote 483,914 309,748 Percentage 51.17% 32.75% Swing 6.7 6.98%   Third party Fourth party   NDP SC Leader Pam Barrett Randy Thorsteinson Party New Democratic Social Credit Leader since 1996 1993 Leader's seat Edmonton-Highlands ran in Red Deer-South (lost) Last election 0 seats, 11.01% 0 seats, 2.41% Seats before 0 0 Seats won 2 0 Seat change 2 0 Popular vote 83,292 64,667 Percentage 8.81% 6.84% Swing 2.2% 4.43%
Premier before election Ralph Klein Progressive Conservative Premier after election Ralph Klein Progressive Conservative

The 1997 Alberta general election was a big event for the Canadian province of Alberta. It happened on March 11, 1997. During this election, people in Alberta voted for who they wanted to represent them in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. This assembly is where laws are made for the province.

What is a General Election?

A general election is when citizens get to choose their leaders. In Alberta, voters pick people to become Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). These MLAs then work together in the Legislative Assembly to make decisions for the province. The party that wins the most seats usually forms the government.

Who Ran in the Election?

Several political parties and their leaders competed in the 1997 Alberta election. Each party had different ideas about how to run the province.

The Main Parties and Their Leaders

• Progressive Conservative Party (PC): Led by Ralph Klein. They were already in power before this election.
• Liberal Party: Led by Grant Mitchell. They were the main opposition party.
• New Democratic Party (NDP): Led by Pam Barrett.
• Social Credit Party: Led by Randy Thorsteinson.

Other smaller parties and independent candidates also ran, but they had fewer people running for them.

What Were the Results?

The 1997 election saw the Progressive Conservative Party win again. They won a clear majority of the seats in the Legislative Assembly. This meant they could continue to govern Alberta.

How Many Seats Did Each Party Win?

• The Progressive Conservatives won 63 out of 83 seats. This was a big increase from the 51 seats they had before.
• The Liberal Party won 18 seats. This was a decrease from their previous 32 seats.
• The New Democratic Party won 2 seats. They had not won any seats in the previous election.
• The Social Credit Party did not win any seats.

How Many People Voted?

About 53.75% of eligible voters in Alberta cast their ballots in this election. This number is called the "turnout."

What Happened After the Election?

After the election, Ralph Klein remained the Premier of Alberta. The Progressive Conservative Party continued to lead the government. The newly elected members formed the 24th Alberta Legislative Assembly. They worked on laws and policies for the province until the next election in 2001.