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Lethbridge College public opinion study shows residents are progressive on policy but conservative at the polls

Mar 11, 2018 | 11:35 AM

LETHBRIDGE – Researchers from Lethbridge College led by Dr. Faron Ellis have released results from three separate polls of the local community, focusing on federal and provincial voting preferences, as well as on specific policy items.

Results from the 2018 Lethbridge Study public opinion poll indicate the federal Conservative Party of Canada holds a commanding lead in voter support within the city of Lethbridge.

Conservative support of 51.7 per cent is more than double that of its nearest competitor, the federal Liberals at 22.6 per cent, and nearly eight times that of the federal NDP at just 6.7 per cent.

Only 4.2 per cent of voters currently support the federal Green Party, while 4.5 per cent plan to vote for some other party or candidate.

One in ten Lethbridge residents is currently undecided.

Provincially, when only considering party and not individual candidates, the study indicates the United Conservative Party leads in overall popular support at 44.4 per cent.

The UCP also leads in both Lethbridge West at 41.8 per cent, and Lethbridge East at 45.1 per cent.

The governing NDP is running second throughout the city with support from approximately one in every five voters (20.2%).

The provincial Liberals garner support from one of every ten Lethbridge voters (10.6%) while the Alberta Party garners half again that much support (4.8%).

A handful of voters are supporting other parties or candidates (6.2%) while approximately one in seven voters is currently undecided.

The Conservatives hold leads in every demographic category and receive their strongest support from within their traditional areas of strength such as men, middle and upper-income voters, and provincial UCP and Alberta party supporters.

Despite that, Lethbridge residents continue to express more progressive attitudes towards most policy items measured in a six-item report.

Same-Sex Marriage: A clear majority of Lethbridge residents, 77.3 per cent, support same-sex marriages having equal legal status with traditional marriages. Support for same-sex marriage has increased significantly from only 33.5 per cent in 2002 when Lethbridge residents were first asked about the issue.

Abortion Choice: A clear majority of Lethbridge residents, 81.7 per cent, support a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion.

Capital Punishment: A majority of Lethbridge residents, 64.0 per cent, support Canada reintroducing capital punishment for people convicted of first-degree murder.

Legal Medical Marijuana: A substantial majority of Lethbridge residents, 89.5 per cent, support marijuana remaining legal for medical purposes.

Legal Recreational Marijuana: Lethbridge residents are evenly split in their support for legal recreational marijuana, and opposition to it at 50 per cent on either side. Support has fluctuated over past two years after steadily increasing from only 31.5 per cent in 2005.

Legalize Doctor-Assisted Suicide: A substantial majority of Lethbridge residents, 79.5 per cent, support legal doctor-assisted suicide.

Full details can be found here for the policy related study, here for the federal vote study and here for the provincial vote study.