1948 Alberta general election

The 1948 Alberta general election was held on August 17, 1948, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

1948 Alberta general election

August 17, 1948 (1948-08-17)

57 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
29 seats were needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party Third party
 
LIB
Leader Ernest Manning Elmer E. Roper James H. Prowse
Party Social Credit Co-operative Commonwealth Liberal
Leader since May 31, 1943 1942 June 26, 1947
Leader's seat Edmonton Edmonton Edmonton
Last election 51 seats, 50.5% 2 seats, 24.2% did not run
Seats before 50 2 1
Seats won 51 2 2
Seat change Increase1 ±0 Increase1
Popular vote 164,003 56,387 52,655
Percentage 55.6% 19.1% 17.9%
Swing Increase5.1% Decrease5.1%

Premier before election

Ernest Manning
Social Credit

Premier after election

Ernest Manning
Social Credit

Ernest C. Manning led the Social Credit to a fourth term in government, increasing its share of the popular vote further above the 50% mark it had set in the 1944 election. It won the same number of seats 51 of the 57 seats in the legislature that it had won in the previous election.

The remaining seats were won by the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation, the Liberal Party and independents.

This provincial election, like the previous five, saw district-level proportional representation (Single transferable voting) used to elect the MLAs of Edmonton and Calgary. City-wide districts were used to elect multiple MLAs in the cities. All the other MLAs were elected in single-member districts through Instant-runoff voting.

Along with this election, voters got to also vote in a province wide plebiscite. The ballot asked voters about utility regulation.


Results

Elections to the 11th Alberta Legislative Assembly (1948)
Party Leader Candidates First-preference votes Seats
Votes ±  % Fpv Change (pp) 1944 1948 ±
Social Credit Ernest C. Manning 57164,00317,636Increase55.63 5.17 5.17
 
51
51 / 57
Steady
Co-operative Commonwealth Elmer Roper 5156,38713,920Decrease19.13 -5.11
 
2
2 / 57
Steady
Liberal James H. Prowse 4952,65552,655Increase17.86 17.86 17.86
 
2 / 57
2Increase
  Independent Citizen's Association[a 1] John P. Page 912,98334,256Decrease4.40 -11.88
 
3
1 / 57
2Decrease
Independent Social Credit 32,9582,958Increase1.00 1.00 1
 
1 / 57
1Increase
Veteran's & Active Force Did not campaign -1.22
 
1
0 / 57
1Decrease
Labour 13,5793,579Increase1.21 1.21 1.21
 
Labor–Progressive Ben Swankey 21,37210,631Decrease0.47 -3.67
 
  United Labour 1856932Decrease0.30 -0.32
 
Total173 294,793 100.00%
Rejected ballots 17,7079,625Increase
Turnout 312,50014,327Increase 63.5%7.2Decrease
Registered voters 489,31167,810Increase
  1. Formerly known as the Independent Movement or the Citizens' Slate


Electrification plebiscite

The fourth plebiscite conducted province-wide in Alberta's history, it was not a traditional yes–no question, but presented two options on electricity generation and transmission, asking if the province should create "a publicly-owned utility administered by the Alberta Government Power Commission"[1] or leave the electricity industry in the hands of companies already in the business (a mixture of municipal operations and private companies). The driving force behind the referendum was whether to provide rural electrification through public ownership or leave it in the hands of private corporations that had done very little up to that time and did not have the financial resources to perform the task.[2] Despite the referendum result, the government sponsored the creation of many Rural Electrification Associations, of which some still exist today.[3]

The result shows how evenly divided the province was on the issue, with a majority of only 151 votes in favour of leaving the old system in place. In fact, voters in Edmonton were effectively split and the rural areas were in favour of provincial control, but an even larger majority in Calgary voted to retain the old system.[4]

Option A Option B
Are you in favour of the generation and distribution of electricity being continued by the Power Companies? Are you in favour of the generation and distribution of electricity being made a publicly owned utility administered by the Alberta Government Power Commission?


Results by district  1948 Alberta electricity plebiscite[5]
District In favour of
Status quo Public utility
Acadia-Coronation 1,57838.81%2,48761.19%
Alexandra 1,35037.00%2,29863.00%
Athabasca 1,26229.08%3,07770.92%
Banff-Cochrane 2,62464.31%1,45635.69%
Beaver River 2,77065.85%1,43634.15%
Bow Valley-Empress 1,73747.02%1,95752.98%
Bruce 1,42338.01%2,32061.99%
Calgary 26,32569.63%11,47830.37%
Camrose 2,16442.79%2,89357.21%
Cardston 1,26846.00%1,48854.00%
Clover Bar 1,72238.26%2,77861.74%
Cypress 1,27947.49%1,41452.51%
Didsbury 2,36060.00%1,57340.00%
Drumheller 1,86247.58%2,05152.42%
Edmonton 22,35150.99%21,47849.01%
Edson 1,62333.86%3,17066.14%
Gleichen 2,00756.04%1,57443.96%
Grande Prairie 2,29349.55%2,33450.45%
Grouard 1,67332.21%3,52067.79%
Hand Hills 1,75944.95%2,15455.05%
Lac Ste. Anne 1,24228.86%3,06171.14%
Lacombe 1,99443.32%2,60856.68%
Leduc 1,89944.02%2,41455.98%
Lethbridge 4,23764.90%2,29135.10%
Little Bow 1,65352.14%1,51747.86%
Macleod 2,17953.74%1,87546.26%
Medicine Hat 5,18681.03%1,21418.97%
Okotoks-High River 3,32161.16%2,10938.84%
Olds 2,39858.60%1,69441.40%
Peace River 1,91442.90%2,54757.10%
Pembina 1,71034.29%3,27665.71%
Pincher Creek-Crowsnest 1,83844.59%2,28455.41%
Ponoka 1,62241.69%2,26858.31%
Red Deer 2,96352.79%2,64947.21%
Redwater 80422.66%2,74377.31%
Rocky Mountain House 2,21045.63%2,63354.37%
St. Albert 1,89755.16%2,33344.84%
St. Paul 1,94541.50%2,74158.50%
Sedgewick 1,96248.17%2,11151.83%
Spirit River 1,14731.91%2,44768.09%
Stettler 2,19053.91%1,87246.09%
Stony Plain 1,36035.88%2,43064.12%
Taber 1,48546.46%1,71153.54%
Vegreville 1,22532.08%2,59367.92%
Vermilion 1,73243.12%2,28456.88%
Wainwright 1,81341.00%2,60859.00%
Warner 1,26551.33%1,19948.67%
Wetaskiwin 2,30146.23%2,67653.77%
Willingdon 1,06928.24%2,71671.76%
Totals 139,99150.03%139,84049.47%


MLAs elected

    Synopsis of results

    Results by riding  1948 Alberta general election (all except Calgary, Edmonton and servicemember MLAs)[6]
    Riding First-preference votes Turnout
    [a 1]
    Final counts Winning party
    Name SC CCF Lib ICA Oth Total SC CCF Lib ICA I-SC 1944 1948
     
    Acadia-Coronation 2,3326411,2544,227 78.5% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Alexandra 2,0341,1906513,875 57.7% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Athabasca 2,3741,2269584,558 59.0% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Banff-Cochrane 1,0841,2461,6583,988 58.2% 1,4651,964 SC I-SC
    Beaver River 1,9921,2821,5794,853 68.9% 2,1171,698 SC SC
    Bow Valley-Empress 2,1786831,0633,924 68.9% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Bruce 2,2481,0806153,943 64.0% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Camrose 3,0411,3151,0035,359 71.2% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Cardston 1,9819442,925 60.00% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Clover Bar 2,8011,0357614,597 70.1% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Cypress 1,7234108442,977 69.2% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Didsbury 2,6474179353,999 64.5% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Drumheller 2,9822718564,109 76.4% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Edson 2,5431,7157705,028 65.4% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Gleichen 2,3541,3033,657 65.4% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Grande Prairie 2,9521,0197684,739 68.4% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Grouard 2,4931,2491,8505,592 75.7% 2,7171,917 SC SC
    Hand Hills 2,7731,6074,380 78.9% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Lac Ste. Anne 1,8991,5581,023394,519 69.7% 2,4011,742 SC SC
    Lacombe 3,0531,1096434,805 70.8% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Leduc 2,5481,0717724,391 61.2% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Lethbridge 3,8291,4411,7687,038 65.0% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Little Bow 1,8654351,0863,386 75.1% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Macleod 2,8527566124,220 67.8% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Medicine Hat 3,8359961,0435,874 64.0% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Okotoks-High River 3,8764901,2195,585 62.5% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Olds 3,2604246904,374 66.8% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Peace River 3,1911,0878295,107 61.3% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Pembina 3,1651,4626845,311 72.8% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Pincher Creek-Crowsnest 2,2108159988564,879 72.0% 2,2921,045 SC SC
    Ponoka 2,6791,0235194,221 69.6% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Red Deer 4,7711,0825,853 66.0% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Redwater 1,8071,5284413,776 66.9% 1,9121,572 SC SC
    Rocky Mountain House 3,5821,3654,947 63.4% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    St. Albert 2,7021,0477744,523 67.9% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    St. Paul 2,1971,5101,4165,123 73.3% 2,9801,584 SC SC
    Sedgewick 2,8675678384,272 71.6% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Spirit River 2,1551,1946313,980 68.9% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Stettler 3,2499534,201 67.8% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Stony Plain 2,1881,0378724,097 68.9% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Taber 2,5595014633,523 62.6% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Vegreville 2,1011,2767634,140 70.1% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Vermilion 1,9991,1581,1794,336 71.9% 2,1961,323 SC SC
    Wainwright 2,8778878334,597 70.4% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Warner 1,6915982,289 53.6% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Wetaskiwin 2,8271,2321,4145,473 75.8% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    Willingdon 2,1111,8613,972 72.6% Elected on 1st count SC SC
    1. including spoilt ballots
      = 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

    Multi-member districts

      = Candidate was in previous Legislature
      = First-time MLA

    STV analysis

    Exhausted votes

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

    Exhausted votes (1948)
    District Counts Exhausted
    1st preference Final Votes % of 1st pref
    Calgary 39,30936,2383,071 5.72 5.72
     
    Edmonton 46,15044,2561,894 4.10 4.1
     
    Banff-Cochrane 3,9883,429559 14.02 14.02
     
    Beaver River 4,8533,8151,038 21.39 21.39
     
    Grouard 5,5924,634958 17.13 17.13
     
    Lac Ste. Anne 4,5194,143376 8.32 8.32
     
    Pincher Creek-Crowsnest 4,8793,3371,542 31.60 31.6
     
    Redwater 3,7763,484292 7.73 7.73
     
    St. Paul 5,1234,564559 10.91 10.91
     
    Vermilion 4,3363,519817 18.84 18.84
     

    Calgary

    All parties other than the Independent Movement fielded full slates.

    Party Candidates MLAs elected
    1944 1940 ± 1944 1940 ±
    Social Credit 55Steady22Steady
    Co-operative Commonwealth 55Steady11Steady
    Liberal 55Increase11Increase
      Independent Citizen's Association 341Decrease121Decrease
    Labor–Progressive 154Decrease
    Labour 11Increase
    Independent Social Credit 22Increase
    Total 22193Increase55Steady
    Calgary (1948 Alberta general election) (five members elected, candidates ranked in order of 1st preference)[7][8]
    PartyCandidateFPv%Count
    12345678910111213141516171819
    Social Credit Rose Wilkinson 18.29% 7,153
    Social Credit Frederick C. Colborne 10.03% 3,923 4,196 4,200 4,205 4,209 4,291 4,299 4,313 4,499 4,562 4,580 4,696 4,805 5,809 5,883 6,764
    Independent Citizen's Association Howard B. Macdonald 9.82% 3,840 3,847 3,849 3,849 3,854 3,884 4,155 4,162 4,190 4,238 4,245 4,300 5,195 5,205 5,464 5,490 5,985 5,988 6,339
    Labour Peter Morrison 9.15% 3,579 3,596 3,596 3,613 3,664 3,700 3,719 3,744 3,789 3,835 3,880 3,908 3,959 3,982 4,031 4,083 4,160 4,168
    Co-operative Commonwealth Aylmer Liesemer 6.33% 2,475 2,479 2,568 2,726 2,925 2,944 2,954 3,339 3,355 3,368 4,214 4,227 4,258 4,270 4,327 4,343 4,416 4,417 5,742
    Social Credit James Leslie Hill 6.30% 2,464 2,535 2,537 2,540 2,543 2,671 2,677 2,689 2,809 2,831 2,842 2,856 2,886 3,087 3,128 4,265 4,351 4,580 5,535
    Liberal Hugh John MacDonald 5.06% 1,977 1,981 1,982 1,982 1,986 2,000 2,034 2,037 2,051 2,237 2,240 2,824 2,892 2,901 3,951 3,972 5,876 5,879 6,215
    Social Credit R.B. Estabrook 4.48% 1,751 1,830 1,830 1,831 1,835 1,885 1,891 1,909 1,991 2,004 2,011 2,013 2,041 2,241 2,289
    Liberal J. Roger Flumerfelt 4.32% 1,691 1,696 1,702 1,704 1,710 1,717 1,728 1,737 1,750 1,874 1,889 2,145 2,223 2,226
    Liberal Mary Dover 4.10% 1,602 1,610 1,613 1,615 1,616 1,621 1,688 1,692 1,704 1,929 1,936 2,225 2,307 2,320 2,866 2,885
    Liberal Michael J. McCormick 3.16% 1,237 1,242 1,244 1,244 1,246 1,251 1,258 1,261 1,272 1,429 1,432
    Independent Citizen's Association M.V. Anderson 3.15% 1,233 1,242 1,242 1,246 1,250 1,272 1,385 1,390 1,412 1,444 1,448 1,461
    Social Credit George M. Whicher 2.79% 1,091 1,203 1,203 1,207 1,207 1,245 1,253 1,257 1,479 1,510 1,512 1,522 1,537
    Liberal Loftus Dudley Ward 2.42% 948 951 951 955 957 966 974 977 994
    Independent Social Credit A.P. Van Buren 1.89% 738 754 757 765 766 849 857 858
    Independent Citizen's Association Edwina Milvain 1.48% 578 580 586 587 589 598
    Independent Social Credit Art Larsen 1.44% 563 572 575 577 582
    Co-operative Commonwealth George Ellinson 1.38% 539 539 596 655 718 721 723
    Co-operative Commonwealth George R. Austin 1.32% 518 519 542 724 863 871 872 1,058 1,066 1,078
    Labor–Progressive Terry Levis 1.32% 516 516 518 521
    Co-operative Commonwealth W. Orr 1.13% 442 442 469
    Co-operative Commonwealth Mary A. Hart 0.62% 243 243
    Exhausted ballots 11 24 38 64 98 117 161 223 245 355 407 481 543 645 782 1,032 1,035 2,236
    Electorate: 76,939   Valid: 39,101   Spoilt: 2,359   Quota: 6,517   Turnout: 41,460 (53.9%)  
      Calgary (1948 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
      Social Credit Rose Wilkinson 1 7,153 18.29%
      Social Credit Frederick C. Colborne 16 6,764 17.65%
      ICA Howard B. Macdonald 19 6,339 17.20%
      Independent Labour Peter Morrison 18 4,168 10.95%
      CCF Aylmer Liesemer 19 5,742 15.58%
      Social Credit James Leslie Hill 19 5,535 15.01%
      Liberal Hugh John MacDonald 19 6,215 16.86%
      Social Credit R.B. Estabrook 15 2,289 5.95%
      Liberal J. Roger Flumerfelt 14 2,226 5.77%
      Liberal Mary Dover 16 2,885 7.53%
      Liberal Michael J. McCormick 11 1,432 3.70%
      ICA M.V. Anderson 12 1,461 3.78%
      Social Credit George M. Whicher 13 1,537 3.98%
      Liberal Loftus Dudley Ward 9 994 2.56%
      Independent Social Credit A.P. Van Buren 8 858 2.20%
      ICA Edwina Milvain 6 598 1.53%
      Independent Social Credit Art Larsen 5 582 1.49%
      CCF George Ellinson 7 723 1.85%
      CCF George R. Austin 10 1,078 2.77%
      LPP Terry Levis 4 521 1.33%
      CCF W. Orr 3 469 1.20%
      CCF Mary A. Hart 2 243 0.62%
      Exhausted votes 2,236 5.72%


      Edmonton

      Three parties had full slates. The Independent Movement presented four candidates, and Williams campaigned under his own banner.

      Party Candidates MLAs elected
      1944 1940 ± 1944 1940 ±
      Social Credit 55Steady321Increase
      Co-operative Commonwealth 55Steady11Steady
      Liberal 55Increase11Increase
        Independent Citizen's Association 143Decrease11Decrease
      Veteran's & Active Force 11Decrease11Decrease
      Labor–Progressive 55Decrease
      Total 16204Decrease55Steady
      Edmonton (1948 Alberta general election) (five members elected, candidates ranked in order of 1st preference)[9]
      PartyCandidateFPv%Count
      1234567891011121314
      Social Credit Ernest Manning 47.70% 22,014
      Co-operative Commonwealth Elmer Roper 14.11% 6,511 6,712 6,721 6,876 7,102 7,125 7,511 7,536 7,543 8,869
      Liberal James Harper Prowse 13.66% 6,303 7,124 7,191 7,192 7,199 7,516 7,534 8,167
      Independent Citizen's Association John Percy Page 5.90% 2,723 3,913 3,917 3,925 3,941 4,068 4,105 4,148 4,190 4,226 4,306 4,353 4,725 4,883
      Liberal Peter Lazarowich 2.67% 1,234 1,371 1,390 1,395 1,399 1,518 1,529 1,702 2,083 2,115 2,142 2,167
      Co-operative Commonwealth Jack Hampson 2.27% 1,046 1,065 1,066 1,167 1,245 1,250 1,544 1,562 1,567
      Social Credit Clayton Adams 2.05% 946 4,881 4,894 4,895 4,914 4,938 4,958 5,026 5,037 5,047 5,071 5,769 5,938 7,559
      Liberal Mary Scullion 2.04% 942 1,039 1,060 1,060 1,060 1,122 1,133
      Social Credit Lou Heard 1.93% 890 4,778 4,785 4,792 4,797 4,818 4,828 4,864 4,875 4,891 4,910 5,271 5,479 7,746
      Social Credit John Gillies 1.67% 772 3,198 3,203 3,203 3,209 3,246 3,258 3,304 3,317 3,343 3,357 4,110 4,274
      Co-operative Commonwealth Mary Crawford 1.34% 618 652 657 697 859 866
      Liberal Francis Ford 1.22% 565 728 770 780 786
      Social Credit Walter Crockett 1.13% 523 1,870 1,874 1,879 1,883 1,905 1,928 1,948 1,953 1,968 1,989
      Co-operative Commonwealth Arthur Thornton 1.08% 498 522 526 561
      Co-operative Commonwealth Joseph Dowler 0.80% 370 381 385
      Liberal William Brownlee 0.42% 195 224
      Exhausted ballots 0 19 36 64 86 130 201 201 307 307 412 1,666 1,894
      Electorate: 84,391   Valid: 46,150   Spoilt: 1,126   Quota: 7,692   Turnout: 47,276 (56.0%)  
        Edmonton (1944 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
        Social Credit Ernest Manning 1 22,014 47.70%
        CCF Elmer Roper 10 8,869 19.35%
        Liberal James Harper Prowse 8 8,167 17.77%
        ICA John Percy Page 14 4,883 11.03%
        Liberal Peter Lazarowich 12 2,167 4.74%
        CCF Jack Hampson 9 1,567 3.41%
        Social Credit Clayton Adams 14 7,559 17.08%
        Liberal Mary Scullion 7 1,133 2.46%
        Social Credit Lou Heard 14 7,746 17.50%
        Social Credit John Gillies 13 4,274 9.61%
        CCF Mary Crawford 6 866 1.88%
        Liberal Francis Ford 5 786 1.71%
        Social Credit Walter Crockett 11 1,989 4.34%
        CCF Arthur Thornton 4 561 1.22%
        CCF Joseph Dowler 3 385 0.83%
        Liberal William Brownlee 2 224 0.49%
        Exhausted votes 1,894 4.10%

        See also

        References

        1. A Report on Alberta Elections, p. 185
        2. The People's Weekly, August 14, Sept. 4, 1948
        3. "Alberta Power Market" website, accessed May 16, 2020
        4. "Private Hydro Control Swung By City Votes". Calgary Albertan. August 20, 1948. p. 3.
        5. A Century of Democracy: Elections of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, 1905-2005. Edmonton: Legislative Assembly of Alberta. pp. 484–485. ISBN 0-9689217-9-5.
        6. A Century of Democracy: Elections of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, 1905-2005. Edmonton: Legislative Assembly of Alberta. pp. 166–178. ISBN 0-9689217-9-5.
        7. "2 Social Credit Elected Here". Calgary Herald. August 18, 1948. pp. 1, 10.
        8. "Private Power Vote 109,330". Calgary Herald. August 19, 1948. pp. 1, 2.
        9. "Here's How Votes Were Distributed To Elect Five Alberta MLAs Here". Edmonton Bulletin. August 19, 1948. p. 7.
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