Alberta general election, 1921

Alberta general election, 1921

← 1917 July 18, 1921 (1921-07-18) 1926 →
← outgoing members members →
61 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta 31 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Henry Wise Wood Charles Stewart Party United Farmers Liberal Leader since 1919 1917 Leader's seat did not run Sedgewick Last election pre-creation 34 seats, 48.1% Seats before 3 32 Seats won 38 15 Seat change 35 17 Popular vote 86,250 101,584 Percentage 28.9% 34.1% Swing 28.9 14.0%   Third party Fourth party   Leader Holmes Jowett Albert Ewing Party Dominion Labor Conservative Leader since 1921 1921 Leader's seat did not run ran in Edmonton (lost) Last election 1 seat, 3.2% 19 seats, 41.8% Seats before 1 18 Seats won 4 1 Seat change 3 17 Popular vote 33,987 32,734 Percentage 11.4% 11.0% Swing 8.2% 30.8%
Premier before election Charles Stewart Liberal Premier-designate Herbert Greenfield United Farmers

Charles Stewart
Liberal

Herbert Greenfield
United Farmers

The Alberta general election of 1921 was the fifth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on July 18, 1921 to elect members to the 5th Alberta Legislative Assembly.

The Liberal Party of Charles Stewart, which had governed the province since its creation in 1905, was defeated by a surging United Farmers of Alberta, an agricultural lobby organization that was contesting its first general election. The UFA was led by president, Henry Wise Wood, who declined to take the leadership of the government and become Premier. The UFA's third choice, its vice president, Herbert Greenfield, agreed to do so, and sought election to the legislature in a by-election.

In an attempt at proportional voting, each voter in Edmonton and Calgary could choose up to five candidates, while Medicine Hat voters could choose two candidates. All other districts remained one person - one vote. The United Farmers swept most of the rural area while its opposition hung onto seats within the cities. No party ran a full slate of candidates.

The Liberals which had governed the province since 1905 were led into the election by their third Premier and leader Charles Stewart.

The Alberta Government Telephones scandal had broke before the election. It was learned that the Liberals spent AGT money to have telephone poles crated and shipped in big stacks to remote communities in which they had no intention of installing phone lines in an effort to garner support and votes.

The United Farmers of Alberta under the leadership of President Henry Wise Wood was contesting its first general election. The UFA's political wing, as a party, had come into being after the organization had decided to no longer be content with being a lobby group (and farmer supply co-operative). They merged with the Non-Partisan League of Alberta, which had formed before the 1917 general election and had elected a couple members. The Non-Partisan League activists were significant within the political machinery of the United Farmers.

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