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Both parties claimed the underdog title, accusing each other of having special-interest friends bankrolling their campaigns.

Lest supporters not be swayed with talk of the upcoming 2019 election or saving Alberta from the evil clutches of their rivals, they’re dangling the carrot of a generous tax refund of up to 75 per cent.

The most recent political tax credit figures from Elections Alberta date back to 2016, when Albertans claimed $2,237,450. The year before that, which corresponds with the last election, the province coughed up $3,980,345 in tax credits.

Donations about ‘the health of democracy’

Tax credits for donations to political parties are the most generous in Alberta. If you donate under $200 to a legitimate charity, you’ll only get a 10 per cent tax credit, though that grows to 21 per cent for a donation higher than $200.

But a donation under $200 to a registered political party will net you a whopping 75 per cent tax credit. That drops to 50 per cent for a donation up to $1,100, and 33.3 per cent for donations up to $2,300 (you get nothing with a donation higher than that).

University of Calgary political scientist Melanee Thomas said the rationale behind donation tax credits is to allow citizens to exercise a form of individual-level political participation.

Like it or not, she explained, political parties are key to facilitating elections.

“The idea is that if parties can’t persuade people to give them the money they need to conduct their operations, the party has a problem,” she said.

“If parties have people donating to them to the point where they’re easily able to run an election campaign, then that indicates the health of their support. I think it’s also an indicator of the health of democracy.”

egraney@postmedia.com

twitter.com/EmmaLGraney