Advertisement

Will strategic voting play into election results?

SASKATOON – While Saskatoon voters prepare to head to the polls in less than a week, one political expert is cautioning against the strategic vote movement.

“These are truly competitive races in all three ridings,” said Greg Poelzer, political studies professor at the University of Saskatchewan.

Saskatoon’s three new federal ridings are seemingly up for grabs, after the Conservatives swept the former ridings in 2011. The boundaries now include a more urbanized demographic.

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

READ MORE: Why Saskatoon West is a riding to watch this federal election

In the weeks leading up to election day, advocacy groups like Vote Together and Lead Now have been trying to organize a strategic vote – specifically against the Tories. They call on people to vote not for their preferred party, but rather, the party with the best chance of beating the Conservatives.

Story continues below advertisement

“In our own ridings in Saskatoon, I really doubt it’ll make much difference than one per cent of the vote. I think it’ll actually be inconsequential,” said Poelzer.

In-Depth: Federal Election 2015

Instead, Poelzer said strategic voting could end up hurting the viability of the Green Party, which could miss out on subsidies.

Sponsored content

AdChoices