The victory by the UCP's Pether Guthrie remained insurmountable when the final ballots were counted yesterday but what became clearer is how deeply voters were engaged in this election.

Based upon Elections Alberta's published number of eligible voters, there was a whopping 83 per cent turnout at the polls in the newly-formed Airdrie-Cochrane rising, paling the 2015 turnout of 54 per cent in the former Banff-Cochrane riding.

These, though, are unofficial numbers and could change if Elections Alberta adjusted the number of eligible voters, currently pegged at 34,366.

Provincewide, voter turnout is estimated to be 71 per cent, far outpacing the 57 per cent turnout in 2015, and the highest since 1935 when the Social Credit Dynasty was born with an 81.8 per cent turnout. Since 1935, voter turnout only surpassed 60 per cent in 1993 and 1982, up until last week's election.

While this is the new riding, the historical numbers from the Banff-Cochrane riding indicate voter turnout was dwindling until it started to rebound in 2015. The last time it exceeded 60 per cent was in 1993 and had a record 80.39 per cent turnout when the riding was originally formed in 1940. 

By late yesterday afternoon, Elections Alberta reported all 97 polls had been count in Airdrie-Cochrane. UCP's Peter Guthrie received 18,851 votes (66.1), NDPer Steve Durrell secured 7,195 (25.2 per cent), and the Alberta Party's Vern Raincock was a distant third with 1,809 votes (6.3 per cent). Only 16 votes separated Danielle Cameron, of the Alberta Independence Party and Matthew Morrisey of the Freedom Conservative Party. Cameron got 347 votes and Morrisey with 331.

Rosin Surges After Advance Votes Counted 

Before advance poll votes were counted about 700 votes separated the UCP's Miranda Rosin and incumbent Cam Westhead, of the NDP, and a clear winner was deemed difficult declare.

Rosin opened a nearly 2,000 vote lead by the time all 98 polls reported. She has become the first MLA from the new riding with 10,815 votes (51.2 per cent). Westhead received 8,889 votes (42.1 per cent), AP's Brenda Stanton was a distant third with 943 votes (4.5 per cent) while the last three candidates account for less than three per cent of the entire vote. Liberal Gwyneth Midgley received 228 votes, AIP's Anita Crowshoe 155 and independent Dave Phillips got 80 votes.

The seat count remains the same after the advance poll votes were count. The UCP has 63 seats and the NDP 24 in the Legislative Assembly. All other party's and independents were blanked.

The results don't become official until Apr. 26.