New electoral ridings may benefit Conservatives in Canada

Canadians will vote in new ridings in the upcoming election. These changes could give the Conservative Party a slight edge, though pollsters say the overall election results may not be significantly affected. The country has added five new ridings, increasing the total to 343. Two of the new ridings are in Alberta, one in British Columbia, and one in Ontario. Many existing ridings were altered, and 48 of the previous 338 remain the same. Ridings are updated every ten years based on population changes, according to Elections Canada. Dan Arnold, a former Liberal pollster, noted that the Conservatives are likely to benefit because they have more support in faster-growing areas. Philippe Fournier, a polling analyst, agreed that the changes offer a small advantage to the Conservatives, particularly due to the new seats in Alberta. While some existing ridings will see a noticeable shift, other parties may find opportunities as well. The Bloc Québécois is expected to gain in Quebec, while the Liberals might fare better in northern Saskatchewan due to boundary changes. Some MPs are unhappy with the updates. Liberal MP Jaime Battiste called the changes unconstitutional, and both he and Mike Kelloway plan to run in the new Sydney-Glace Bay riding. Michael Coteau, representing a disappearing riding, criticized the redrawing process as flawed. Parties are still nominating candidates. As of mid-March, the Conservatives had selected 275 candidates, while the Liberals had 195, the NDP 230, the Green Party 208, and the Bloc had 11. The complete list of candidates will not be available until the campaign gets closer.