A few thousand votes in a dozen key ridings decide which party forms the government in Manitoba — and all eyes are pinned to them on election night.
The Progressive Conservatives have about 20 "stronghold" ridings in the province's south and southwest in the province and its capital, while the New Democrats traditionally do well in the same number of ridings in the province's north and east, also mirrored in Winnipeg.
Close races are expected in about a dozen seats, and political analysts are keeping close tabs on a few others, too. Here are some ridings worth watching:
Wellington
The race in the inner-city Winnipeg riding of Wellington, usually considered a walk in the park for the NDP, was marred by internal problems in 2007, but the party managed to hold on to the riding by a large margin.
Eccentric incumbent NDP representative Conrad Santos quit the party's nomination race, held shortly before the writ was dropped, amid allegations that some of the new party members he and his supporters had signed up did not pay their own membership fees.
A second nomination candidate, Joe Chan, was disqualified from the race for not disclosing information concerning criminal charges his company faced six years ago. Chan was not directly involved in the charges.
Both Santos and Chan ran as independent candidates, and political analysts wondered if they'd split the vote with the NDP candidate, making way for a Liberal or Conservative victory.
However, the vote was not split, and the NDP's Flor Marcelino was elected early in the evening, CBC News projected.
Brandon West
One of two ridings in Manitoba's second-largest city, Brandon West has swung between the New Democrats and the Tories several times over the last four decades, with the election outcomes often decided by only a few hundred votes between the candidates.
This time around, NDP cabinet minister Scott Smith is facing a tough challenge from well-known former mayor and MP Rick Borotsik, who stepped out of retirement to try to win the riding, lost in 1999, back for the Tories.
Fort Garry
The leaders of Manitoba's three main political parties have spent a lot of campaign time in Fort Garry, which was held mainly by the Conservatives until 2003, when Kerri Irvin-Ross took the seat by only 87 votes.
Voters' decisions on Tuesday will determine whether the last election was a brief flirtation with the NDP — or prove that the Conservative dynasty in Fort Garry is over.
Fort Rouge
Tim Sale, a former NDP cabinet minister, is not running for re-election in this central Winnipeg riding, and the parties have lined up for a shot at it, with six names on the ballot.
Paul Hesse, a dynamic young lawyer, could pick up a new seat for the Liberals here. The NDP's candidate is Jennifer Howard, and Christine Waddell is running for the Tories. A Green, a Communist and an independent candidate are also running.
Gimli
This riding in central Manitoba, stretching from Winnipeg to the Interlake region, is the province's bellwether, electing representatives of the same party that formed the government in all but one election in the last 40 years.
La Verendrye
Ron Lemieux, the NDP's minister of transportation and infrastructure, is facing a serious challenge from Progressive Conservative candidate Bob Stefaniuk, the high-profile former mayor of Ritchot.
Lemieux won the seat in this rural riding, southeast of Winnipeg, by more than 1,000 votes in 2003, but its voters previously elected Tory representatives in every election in the two decades before 1999.
Minnedosa
In 2003, Tory Leanne Rowat eked out a win with a margin of just 12 votes over the NDP's Harvey Paterson in this western Manitoba riding, which surrounds the city of Brandon. The two candidates have lined up for a rematch this time around.
Riel
The Tories have been working hard to win back Riel, a south Winnipeg seat the party lost when the New Democrats swept to power in 1999.
In the 2003 election, Christine Melnick widened the NDP's lead over the Conservatives; she was then appointed to cabinet the fall after the election, increasing her profile. But Melnick faced heavy criticism after the death of a child who had been in provincial care went unnoticed by authorities for months — and her Tory rival, Trudy Turner, is well-known for activity in community and civic groups.
Wolseley
If the Green party wins a seat anywhere in Manitoba, it will be in Wolseley, a central Winnipeg constituency often referred to as the city's "granola belt" due to its residents' reputations for opposition to pesticides and a general "hippie" attitude.
The Greens won one-fifth of the popular vote in Wolseley in 2003, but strife within the party in the intervening years, culminating in the election of a very young leader, may have dimmed its chances of success in 2007.
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Manitoba Votes 2007 Headlines »
- NDP wins historic 3rd majority in Manitoba
- Manitoba NDP Leader Gary Doer has led his party to a historic third majority government in the province's 39th general election, taking 36 of 57 seats.
- PCs win 19 seats, lose ground from 2003
- The Progressive Conservatives won 19 out of 57 ridings Tuesday — a drop of one seat from 2003.
- Liberals hold 2 seats
- Voters denied the Liberals official party status on Tuesday, although the party held its two existing seats.
- Greens make slight gains
- The Green party's dreams of a breakthrough quickly wilted on Tuesday night.
- 16 cabinet ministers re-elected, one loses nailbiter
- Sixteen members of Premier Gary Doer's former NDP cabinet in Manitoba were re-elected Tuesday, but Trade Minister Scott Smith lost the riding of Brandon West in a squeaker.