Prince Edward Island premier expected to call election Monday

All signs are pointing to a spring election on Prince Edward Island after the province’s Progressive Conservative Party issued a release Monday afternoon promising a “major announcement” by Premier Dennis King, signalling an election call.

“I think it’s almost a certainty,” said Don Desserud, a political science professor at the University of Prince Edward Island. “Premiers can, and they will, change their minds at the last minute. Always a chance of that, but if there’s no election called very soon, then there’s another story here.”

Elections PEI also seems to expect the announcement soon. Workers are sorting supplies in Charlottetown, ready to go out at a moment’s notice and 27 returning officers have been hired — one for each of P.E.I.’s. provincial ridings.

“Their offices are required to be open at 9 a.m. the day after the writ, so if that were to be today, our offices have to be open, by law, 9 a.m. tomorrow,” said Tim Garrity, Elections PEI CEO.

“We’ve actively been getting ready for this.”

If an election is called, P.E.I. will go to the polls on April 3.

Desserud says anything can happen between now and election day.

“Right now, the gap, in terms of public opinion polls, between the PC Party and the other parties, and the leader Dennis King and the other leaders, is of such a magnitude that the chances of them [PC’s] losing this election are pretty remote,” said Desserud.

The PC party has nominated candidates in all ridings except for one, the premier’s own riding.

That nomination meeting is happening Monday evening, where it’s expected he’ll drop the writ.

CTV Atlantic will livestream Monday’s announcement, which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

For full coverage of Prince Edward Island news, visit our dedicated page.