2011 Prince Edward Island general election

Last updated
2011 Prince Edward Island general election
Flag of Prince Edward Island.svg
  2007 October 3, 2011 (2011-10-03) 2015  

27 seats of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island
14 seats needed for a majority
Turnout76.53% [1]
 First partySecond party
  Robert Ghiz.jpg
PC
Leader Robert Ghiz Olive Crane
Party Liberal Progressive Conservative
Leader since April 5, 2003 October 2, 2010
Leader's seat Charlottetown-Brighton Morell-Mermaid
Last election23 seats, 52.93%4 seats, 41.35%
Seats before242
Seats won225
Seat changeDecrease2.svg2Increase2.svg3
Popular vote38,31529,950
Percentage51.39%40.18%
SwingDecrease2.svg1.54%Decrease2.svg1.17%

Prince Edward Island Election 2011 Map.svg
Popular vote by riding. As this is an FPTP election, seat totals are not determined by popular vote, but instead via plurality results by each riding.

Premier before election

Robert Ghiz
Liberal

Premier after election

Robert Ghiz
Liberal

The 2011 Prince Edward Island general election was held on October 3, 2011. [2] [3]

Contents

The Liberal government of Premier Robert Ghiz was elected to a second majority government, winning one seat less than they did in 2007. Ghiz himself considered 18 seats to be a marker for a strong majority. He won 22.

Health care was an important issue during the election, especially in rural areas. [4]

The Progressive Conservatives retained their position as Official Opposition, winning five seats. Olive Crane used the issue of the Provincial Nominee Program during the election, as well as issues surrounding immigration and investments that came under investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Federal Minister Jason Kenney during the election. [5]

Results

Both the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives lost votes, and lost in the share of vote. Turnout was down and seven thousand fewer voters cast ballots total. The Greens and New Democrats increased both their raw vote and their share of the vote, and the new Island party took nearly a full percentage point. Three incumbent Liberal MLAs were defeated by Progressive Conservatives; the Progressive Conservatives retained one of the two seats they held at the dissolution of the previous legislature, as well as one vacant seat which they held prior to the resignation of Michael Currie from the legislature in March 2011, while the Liberals gained one seat whose Progressive Conservative incumbent did not stand for re-election.

The election saw one riding, Kellys Cross-Cumberland, have six candidates, a rarity in PEI elections.

Results of the election by polling division 2011 Prince Edward Island general election - Popular vote by polling division.svg
Results of the election by polling division

The PC Party solidified their base in central-east PEI, winning four ridings that were part of the federal riding of Cardigan, and carried the region. The PC Party also managed to win a single seat on the northern tip of the Island.

225
LiberalPC
Summary of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island election results
PartyParty leaderCandidatesSeatsPopular vote
2007 Dissol. 2011Change#%Change
Liberal Robert Ghiz 27232422-138,31551.38%-1.55%
Progressive Conservative Olive Crane 27425+129,95040.16%-1.19%
Green Sharon Labchuk 22--03,2544.36%+1.32%
New Democratic James Rodd 14--02,3553.16%+1.20%
Island Billy Cann 12*-06820.91%*
Independents and no affiliation 1--0150.02%-0.71%
Vacant--1
Total10327272774,571

* The Island Party of Prince Edward Island was not a registered political party at the time of the 2007 election.

Popular vote
Liberal
51.38%
PC
40.16%
Green
4.36%
New Democratic
3.16%
Others
0.94%
Seats summary
Liberal
81.48%
PC
18.52%

Synopsis of results

2011 PEI general election - synopsis of riding results [a 1]
Riding#Federal
Riding
2007 Winning party [a 2] Turnout
[a 3]
Votes
PartyVotesShareMargin
#
Margin
%
Lib PC Green NDP Island IndTotal
 
Alberton-Roseville 26EGM Lib Lib1,60456.18%46716.36%83.10%1,6041,13771432,855
Belfast-Murray River 4CAR PC Lib1,13545.86%80.32%79.02%1,1351,127114992,475
Borden-Kinkora 19MPQ Lib Lib1,59049.41%1223.79%77.85%1,5901,4681603,218
Charlottetown-Brighton 13CHA Lib Lib1,22852.46%52922.60%77.42%1,2286992381762,341
Charlottetown-Lewis Point 14CHA Lib Lib1,41152.01%51619.02%70.01%1,4118951322752,713
Charlottetown-Parkdale 11CHA Lib Lib1,51061.76%84534.56%73.78%1,5106651521182,445
Charlottetown-Sherwood 10CHA Lib Lib1,53853.93%47816.76%77.86%1,5381,0601271272,852
Charlottetown-Victoria Park 12CHA Lib Lib1,11251.29%53024.45%69.03%1,112582278177192,168
Cornwall-Meadowbank 16MPQ Lib Lib1,68663.46%93035.00%71.03%1,686756172432,657
Evangeline-Miscouche 24EGM Lib Lib1,72277.22%1,30458.48%84.89%1,72241864262,230
Georgetown-St. Peters 2CAR PC PC1,57553.30%36112.22%83.91%1,2141,5754787322,955
Kellys Cross-Cumberland 17MPQ Lib Lib1,76854.02%80824.69%77.54%1,76896030618242153,273
Kensington-Malpeque 20MPQ Lib Lib1,82057.18%65520.58%74.76%1,8201,1651983,183
Montague-Kilmuir 3CAR PC Lib1,12746.57%1235.08%78.10%1,1271,004892002,420
Morell-Mermaid 7CAR PC PC1,64958.29%61621.77%88.28%1,0331,649114332,829
O'Leary-Inverness 25EGM Lib Lib1,43155.51%28411.02%78.83%1,4311,1472,578
Rustico-Emerald 18MPQ Lib Lib1,49849.50%1575.19%78.69%1,4981,3411873,026
Souris-Elmira 1CAR Lib PC1,30248.58%301.12%86.25%1,2721,3021062,680
Stratford-Kinlock 6CAR Lib PC2,02055.59%77921.44%77.63%1,2412,0201682053,634
Summerside-St. Eleanors 22EGM Lib Lib1,42651.76%38914.12%63.76%1,4261,0371451472,755
Summerside-Wilmot 21EGM Lib Lib1,38254.75%44517.63%65.36%1,3829372052,524
Tignish-Palmer Road 27EGM Lib PC1,17550.15%331.41%81.74%1,1421,175262,343
Tracadie-Hillsborough Park 8CHA Lib Lib1,30448.53%1686.25%72.80%1,3041,13693136182,687
Tyne Valley-Linkletter 23EGM Lib Lib1,39057.27%35314.54%71.68%1,3901,0372,427
Vernon River-Stratford 5CAR Lib Lib1,31150.52%2579.90%77.29%1,3111,0541191112,595
West Royalty-Springvale 15CHA Lib Lib1,43245.93%632.02%75.31%1,4321,3691511663,118
York-Oyster Bed 9MPQ Lib Lib1,98855.30%75320.95%79.55%1,9881,2351222503,595
  1. Report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Prince Edward Island for the Provincial General Election of 3 October 2011 (PDF). 2015. pp. 2–6.{{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  2. percentages calculated on valid votes only
  3. including spoilt ballots
  = open seat
  = turnout is above provincial average
  = incumbency arose from byelection gain
  = incumbent re-elected in same riding
  = other incumbent renominated
Resulting composition of the 64th General Assembly of Prince Edward Island
SourceParty
LibPCTotal
Seats retainedIncumbents returned20121
Open seats held11
Seats changing handsIncumbents defeated33
Open seats gained11
Byelection gain held11
Total22527

Results by region

Party Name Cardigan Malpeque Charlottetown Egmont Total
  Liberal Seats:385622
 Popular Vote:42.54%52.87%54.31%57.01%51.38%
  Progressive Conservative Seats:40015
 Popular Vote:49.68%38.10%31.16%38.89%40.16%
Total seats:785727
Parties that won no seats:
  Green Vote:6511,1919274853,254
 Popular Vote:3.32%4.81%7.40%2.74%4.36%
  NDP Vote:4039328731472,355
 Popular Vote:2.06%3.77%6.97%0.83%3.16%
  Island Party Vote:470981995682
 Popular Vote:2.40%0.40%0.15%0.54%0.91%
 IndependentVote:1515
 Popular Vote:0.06%0.02%

Incumbent MLAs not running for re-election