Got me curious. So, as the "first Omicron test", I just want to be clear I read the numbers correctly. I realize a seat is a seat, but in terms of drawing implications, the 11% point spread is partly accounted for because 34 more people voted for the Sask Party than in the last general election.
So I gather the story is not the surge in support for the SP but why the NDP vote collapsed by 830 votes. So it appears the raw numbers tell the story, the percentages alone may mislead.
So 34 folks doesn't sound like a tremendous backlash against Trudeau federalism, mandates and health restrictions in general. So the question becomes why did the (previous) NDP voters stay home? Does the result likely suggest they will show up at the next general election? Let's call it the 'oopsie bounce' : )
I guess the drift of my question is how is this result an Omicron test? You provide your own caveats, but this does not appear to mimic the freedom convoy of rage that descended on Ottawa. Why would Omicron lead voters to stay home & what does it have to do with expressing political preferences?
(P.S. I enjoy the drilling into data that I'm unfamiliar with otherwise.)
Well, I don't think it is likely that every voter who voted for the Sask. Party in 2020 also did so this time, while NDP voters stayed home. Turnout goes down for lots of reasons, and while it might impact one party more than another it is also just a natural thing that happens in byelections. In my experience, byelections are often representative of broader trends, so it isn't just a question of turnout. If we could do a post-election poll of the riding, I'm sure we'd find lots of voters who supported the NDP in 2020 who backed the SP this time.
Got me curious. So, as the "first Omicron test", I just want to be clear I read the numbers correctly. I realize a seat is a seat, but in terms of drawing implications, the 11% point spread is partly accounted for because 34 more people voted for the Sask Party than in the last general election.
So I gather the story is not the surge in support for the SP but why the NDP vote collapsed by 830 votes. So it appears the raw numbers tell the story, the percentages alone may mislead.
So 34 folks doesn't sound like a tremendous backlash against Trudeau federalism, mandates and health restrictions in general. So the question becomes why did the (previous) NDP voters stay home? Does the result likely suggest they will show up at the next general election? Let's call it the 'oopsie bounce' : )
I guess the drift of my question is how is this result an Omicron test? You provide your own caveats, but this does not appear to mimic the freedom convoy of rage that descended on Ottawa. Why would Omicron lead voters to stay home & what does it have to do with expressing political preferences?
(P.S. I enjoy the drilling into data that I'm unfamiliar with otherwise.)
Well, I don't think it is likely that every voter who voted for the Sask. Party in 2020 also did so this time, while NDP voters stayed home. Turnout goes down for lots of reasons, and while it might impact one party more than another it is also just a natural thing that happens in byelections. In my experience, byelections are often representative of broader trends, so it isn't just a question of turnout. If we could do a post-election poll of the riding, I'm sure we'd find lots of voters who supported the NDP in 2020 who backed the SP this time.