Voters head to the polls in Newfoundland and Labrador after ‘non-campaign’

Voters in Newfoundland and Labrador head to the polls today to decide the fate of Premier Dwight Ball’s Liberal government after an election campaign that focused on two leaders – neither of whom is particularly well-liked by the public.

READ MORE: Newfoundland and Labrador wraps cautious election campaign

Recent polls have suggested the Liberals, who are seeking a second term in office, were locked in a tight race with the Progressive Conservatives, led by lawyer Ches Crosbie – son of former federal cabinet minister John Crosbie.

Though no government in Newfoundland and Labrador has served less than three consecutive terms, the Liberals are all too aware that a recent string of provincial elections have turfed the incumbents.

Since last June, five governments have been voted out of office, four of them Liberal administrations.

READ MORE: Politicians address challenge of making N.L. feel like home for newcomers

The Liberals in Newfoundland and Labrador have been struggling to deal with a stalled economy, a massive debt and a leader who hasn’t really clicked with the electorate.

However, Crosbie’s Tories have plenty of political baggage to deal with now that they are being blamed for the multibillion-dollar debacle that is the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project.