Calgary's high-stakes, low-attention election is fast approaching

Calgary's municipal election is fast approaching, and for many voters, it may seem like it came out of the blue.

With so much going on lately — a contentious federal election, ongoing twists and turns in provincial politics, and the brutal fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic — there hasn't been a lot of time or attention for people to spare.

In a poll conducted for CBC News in partnership with the University of Calgary, most Calgarians who participated said they are interested in municipal politics but many said they know very little — or nothing at all — about the candidates running for city council in their local wards. This is especially true in the wards with no incumbent councillor seeking re-election.

And, in this election, most wards have no incumbent.

Then there's the long list of candidates running for mayor: 27 people, in total. Plus 100 more candidates for city councillor across the city's 14 electoral wards. It's a lot to take in.

Faced with such daunting numbers, candidates struggle to get their messages out, while voters struggle to sort out who best represents their views.

There's no shortage of information out there. Virtually every candidate has a website or social media presence — and CBC News has compiled all of them into an easy-to-navigate format you can find here.