As this magazine hits the streets, there’s only 19 days left in the provincial election. So get your radar up, because it’s never too early to start vetting candidates, party leaders, and their ideas for Alberta’s future. It’s your Alberta and it’s your choice on Election Day.

Recent polls reveal a large group of undecided voters, signifying that many Albertans are uneasy with the status quo. Whether that dissatisfaction comes from a simple lack of confidence in Ed Stelmach or suggests that Albertans are looking for a change in government isn’t clear yet, but it’s a ray of hope. 

I’ll admit I’m not sure what change would look like in Alberta. I’ve never witnessed provincial regime change. The ruling parties here don’t fall very often, and when they do, it tends to stick. The Social Credit dynasty of William “Bible Bill” Aberhart in 1935 and Peter Lougheed’s Tories began their reign in 1971. I do know that just because change in government happened one way 37 years ago, that doesn’t mean the conditions need to be exactly the same for it to happen again, or that it will happen in the same way.

Alberta is not the same rural-heavy province it was in the days of Strom and Lougheed. In fact, our population has doubled and the now largely urban population is more diverse than ever, coming from across Canada and the world. Though this doesn’t necessarily translate into automatic political change, it is significant that many new Albertans aren’t afraid of political change—which, after all, is a regular occurrence in almost every other province in Canada. The Internet has changed the way people communicate and access information. The emergence of citizen media, blogs, and the ability to access a broader amount of information all mean the Internet will play a large role in how voters cast their ballots. The importance and influence of the Internet (including the timely registering of domain names!) is something that cannot be underestimated. These are all factors that were not around in 1971, and will alter the way Albertans vote for change.

Political change doesn’t fit into a pre-existing box, especially one that was nailed together in 1971. Even if the next election sees the Tories getting kicked out, that doesn’t mean that the next party will rule for another 37 years. The appetite for change among voters could result in incremental changes, like a larger opposition or a minority government.

Ed Stelmach wants you to believe that “change from within” happened inside the 37-year-old Tory government when he replaced Ralph Klein as premier over a year ago. Alberta Liberal leader Kevin Taft wants you to believe that change will happen through the election of a new political party. (After 37 years of the Tories, it’s something to hope for.) But can Kevin Taft become premier? A large part of that decision will fall to that big horde of undecided voters—and whether they are simply unhappy with Stelmach or hungry for change.