Cardigan — Election Outlook & Projection
Where this riding stands
The RidingWatch model currently projects the Liberals at 61.4% in Cardigan, 32.7 points ahead of the Conservatives at 28.7%, with the NDP at 5.9%, the Greens at 4%. Across 10,000 simulations the seat goes to the Liberals in >99% of them. The simulations put the Liberals' share anywhere from 55% to 69%, and the Conservatives' from 23% to 35%.
In April 2025 the Liberals won here with 57%, 20 points ahead of the Conservatives. The Liberals also held it in 2021. Compared with the 2025 result, the current projection has the Conservatives down 8.3, the Liberals up 4.4, the NDP up 3.9 points. These shifts come from the national polling swing applied to this riding's past results — not from riding-level polling, which the model does not have.
The sitting member is Kent MacDonald (Liberal), MP since 2019.
Rating: Safe Liberal — the Liberals lead by a margin the model treats as decisive on current polling. In practical terms, a 32.7-point projected margin is wider than the swings the model produces in most ridings; a different result would need a local shift that national polling doesn't currently show. No other party is within 10 points of the lead on these numbers, though the Conservatives at 28.7% clear the model's 15% viability floor. Every vote counts toward a party's national total regardless of the local outcome. The Strategic Voting Assistant below shows how these standings look for a specific goal, including simply voting for your first choice.
Sitting member
About this riding
Located in eastern Prince Edward Island, Cardigan encompasses rural communities and small towns in the eastern portion of the province. The riding features predominantly agricultural landscapes with mixed farming, coastal fishing traditions, and recreational tourism. Communities are small and dispersed across the rural countryside. The region embodies PEI's agricultural heritage and traditional Maritime character. Coastal areas provide opportunities for lobster fishing and aquaculture. The landscape consists of gently rolling terrain, red soil, and maritime influences. Economic activity reflects agricultural production, fishing, and seasonal tourism. Rural character and farming traditions strongly influence the riding's identity.
Projected Vote Share — Next Federal Election
Projected using a blended proportional-uniform swing model with incumbency adjustments. Based on the current national polling average and regional crosstabs as of 2026-09-14.
Vote-share trend
2021 and 2025 are official results for this riding; the third point is the current model projection. No estimated historical points are shown.
2025 Election Results vs. Current Projection
| Party | 2025 Vote % | Projected % | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | 57% | 61.4% | +4.4 |
| Conservative | 37% | 28.7% | -8.3 |
| NDP | 2% | 5.9% | +3.9 |
| Green | 1.3% | 4% | +2.7 |
Strategic Voting Assistant
Reasoning uses the current projected shares for this riding. Viability = within 10 points of the leader or at least 15%.
Explore More Ridings
About the Model
This projection is generated by the RidingWatch statistical model, which combines national polling data with historical election results to estimate vote shares and likely outcomes in each of Canada's 343 federal ridings.
The model begins with a weighted blend of results from the 2025 and 2021 federal elections, then applies the polling swing to each riding using a mostly-uniform (90/10 uniform/proportional) swing method — the national swing, adjusted by the province's pooled deviation where pollsters publish regional crosstabs. No pollster house effects are applied. Incumbency is not assumed: only first-term MPs (+1) and party leaders (+2) receive an adjustment. Uncertainty is estimated through 10,000 Monte Carlo simulations with correlated regional errors.
Projections are updated as new polling data becomes available. All estimates are probabilistic — they represent the most likely outcome given current information, not a guarantee of any result. Actual election outcomes depend on factors the model cannot fully capture, including local campaigns, turnout variation, and late-breaking events.