From September 26 to 28, 2025, we surveyed Edmontonians on the direction of their city and the upcoming municipal elections.
Some key highlights from the omnibus include…
Perceived Direction of Edmonton
- Nearly two-thirds (64%) say the city is on the wrong track; just above one-quarter (26%) say it is headed in the right direction.
- Women (72%), those aged 55+ (78%), and likely voters (72%) are more likely to believe it is on the wrong track.
Mayoral Election Voting Likelihood:
- 43% report they will ‘definitely’ vote, while a further 20% are ‘very likely’ to vote, for a total of 64% likely voters.
- Those aged 55+ (75%) and those with incomes of $100k+ (79%) are more likely to report they are likely to vote. These same groups are also more likely to report they will definitely vote.
Mayoral Voting Intention:
- Voting intention among residents remains divided: Cartmell and Knack are tied for the lead at 14%, while Mohammad (6%), Walters (5%), and Caterina (3%) round out the top 5.
- 41% of residents report that they are unsure or undecided regarding their voting intentions, fewer than in August 2025 (48%).
Awareness of Mayoral Candidates:
- Cartmell (49%) and Knack (47%) lead in awareness. Caterina (37%), Walters (36%), and Jaffer (25%) round out the top 5.
Mayoral Candidate Approval
- Among residents aware of each candidate; Knack leads in approval with 54%. He is followed by Walters (48%), Mohammad (46%), and Cartmell (44%).
Top Voting Issues
- Lowering taxes (42%), safety in the downtown core (28%), and reducing poverty (25%) are the top issues leading up to the election.
Perceptions of Balancing Taxes with Public Services & Municipal Political Parties
- Less than half (47%) believe that maintaining current tax levels and reducing public services is favourable, while around four-in-ten (38%) are in favour of slightly increasing taxes to provide better services to citizens.
- More than half (54%) report that a candidate being part of a team/party is not important to them, while just above one-quarter (27%) report that it is important.
Methodology
The results for this wave of research are based on online research conducted from September 26 to September 28, 2025 with a representative sample of 419 Edmontonian adults 18 years of age and older from Leger’s LEO panel.
Results were weighted according to age, gender, mother tongue, region, education and presence of children in the household in order to ensure a representative sample of the Canadian population.
A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample in a panel survey, but for comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size yields a margin of error no greater than ±4.8%, (19 times out of 20) for the sample.
