More Edmontonians cast a ballot in this year’s municipal election than in the four elections prior, but overall turnout was higher in Calgary ― again.

The 2021 Calgary election had a voter turnout of 46.36 per cent. Data shows that this follows a pattern since at least 1983 ― the oldest year publicly available to compare both cities ― where Calgary usually has higher turnout than Edmonton. Sometimes significantly so.

There are several hypotheses about why this may occur, political experts say. But there is a theory that suggests competitive races create a sense of urgency and drama that engages people.

“People in