Watch above: All of the ballots have been cast and the polls have closed. Saturday night we’re expected to find out who will be the next Alberta PC leader or if the decision will go to a second ballot. Tom Vernon joins us from the Expo Centre with Kelley Charlebois, the executive director of the PCAA.
UPDATE: Jim Prentice is the new leader of the Alberta PC Party
EDMONTON — All of the ballots have been cast and the polls are closed, as the Alberta PC party searches for its new leader.
About 23,000 people voted in the three-way race between Ric McIver, Thomas Lukaszuk and Jim Prentice.
The PC party says about 18,000 people had voted by Saturday afternoon. Approximately 4,000 votes were cast between 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday morning.
Voting opened at 6 a.m. Friday and closed at 6 p.m. Saturday, but problems with the new system caused frustration among thousands of party members who say they were unable to vote.
The PCs switched to electronic voting only, moving away from paper ballots. Members were to receive a PIN to vote online, but many said Friday they either didn’t receive a number or their number didn’t work. And the phone line set up to trouble shoot problems was overwhelmed with calls.
Voter frustration continued Saturday, with people taking to Twitter to voice their concerns with the electronic system. One members says she voted twice.
WATCH: Global Edmonton looks back on leadership race
Voting remains open until 6 p.m. Saturday. The winner of the leadership race will become Alberta’s 16th premier.
Global News will be broadcasting on-air and streaming online from the Edmonton Expo Centre beginning at 7 p.m. across the province.
For extensive coverage of the race, visit Global Edmonton’s PC leadership race webpage.
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