A vote of no-confidence ... in the future? How Albertans' pessimism may shape the election

As Albertans ponder their votes in the upcoming provincial election, they don't hold a lot of hope for the future.

That, at least, is according to the weighted results of roughly 10,000 people who responded to Vote Compass, an online tool developed by a team of political scientists that aims to help users navigate the political landscape.

The voters who have used the tool so far have expressed a deep pessimism about the state of affairs in Alberta, with only 16 per cent saying the province is headed in the right direction.

That compares to 60 per cent who say the province is headed in the wrong direction.

Looking further into the future, Albertans also worry that the youth of today won't fare as well when they become the adults of tomorrow.

Only 11 per cent felt young Albertans will be better off than their parents, while 76 per cent believed they will be worse off.

All this may seem like bad news for the UCP — on the surface, at least.

Conventional wisdom has it that incumbent governments fare poorly when the electorate is pessimistic. But Alberta is anything but a conventional political environment. And 2023 is anything but a typical year.

One thing is certain: politicians are well aware that voters are worried. We'll get to the political implications of all this data in a moment. But the numbers tell only part of the story.

Let's first hear what some real people are saying about this particular moment in history, and how it's affecting their lives.

Like many Albertans, Abby Stahl is struggling with the present and worries about what's to come.

"I want my kids to have a future," she told CBC News in an interview outside a truck stop in Calgary.

Stahl says providing the basic necessities for her family has become more and more of a struggle.

"What I spend for food and groceries … and for my gas, it's $1,000 more a month than it was before," she said.